


The Beginning of a Legacy

by megsblackfire



Series: Our Legacy [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: All canon characters are pretty much adorable bright eyed youngsters, Child Abuse, M/M, OC centric, Omnic Crisis, alternative history
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-10-04 05:30:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 44,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10269311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/megsblackfire/pseuds/megsblackfire
Summary: What if the Omnic Crisis hadn't happened with Jack Morrison and Gabriel Reyes' generation, but the one prior?John Morrison was the leader of a refugee town in Indiana before the United States Army came to offer him the position of leader of the newly established Overwatch Initiative to deal with the ongoing threat of omnic incursion. Thrust back into war, John must lead the team of highly skilled soldiers into certain death and still manage to come out victorious or all of humanity will be wiped out by the omnics.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Welcome to my latest offering to the fandom. I hope you all enjoy it. There are going to be a lot, and I mean a lot, of OCs, so if that doesn't interest you, you don't have to read. We will be meeting up with most of the canon characters in one form or another, they're just going to be a lot younger (or older) than usual.

John Morrison strode through the quarantine zone and helped the new refugees get settled. Most were in tears, holding their children and pets close as they stared around at the towering trees that hemmed in Haven, Indiana. Most of them had probably never left the cities they were born in and to be this far in the forest terrified them.

“It’s okay,” he murmured over and over again as he handed out keys to the newcomers. “You’re safe here. Just get settled and see your barrack manager for duties when you’re ready. We work as a community; no one goes hungry, no matter what.”

“Where’d this new lot come from?” John asked as he headed for the border.

“Out east,” one of the hunters replied as he trotted at his heels. “Omnics hit Virginia pretty hard.”

John shook his head. “Make sure there’s enough supplies to support this new growth. I don’t want anyone going hungry or feeling like they’re a strain on our resources.”

“Understood, Captain,” the hunter smiled before hurrying off.

John grabbed the rung of the ladder and hauled himself up to the high wall that acted as the perimeter of their domain. He walked along the edge, looking for his patrols and content to see them where they were supposed to be. All except one.

“Keeping your daddy company, Jesse?” John chuckled as he walked over to the man bouncing his infant on his knee.

Jesse grinned up at John and laughed as Joel continued bouncing him. John scooped the infant up and hoisted him up over his head, growling playfully as Jesse squealed in delight. Joel brought his rifle up and fired off into the forest, snapping the bolt forward and back in the blink of an eye.

“Boar,” Joel smirked as he picked up his walkie-talkie. “Been watchin’ the damn thing root around fer ten minutes. Hey, Sid; just shot a boar for yer boys. North-by-northeast ‘bout a hundred feet from the eastern watchpoint.”

“Couldn’t have shot it closer?” Sid grumbled back. “I’ll send some boys out to collect it. It better be dead, McCree.”

“Don’t send them out with pig-stickers and they’ll be fine,” Joel snorted before he set the walkie-talkie down. “Think they didn’t ‘preciate what I do for ‘em the way Sid goes on.”

“You’re supposed to be watching the border,” John smiled as he set Jesse on his hip.

“I am,” Joel smirked under the brim of his stetson. “Katie just needed some time to herself, is all. Doesn’t like leaving Jesse with a ‘sitter at his age. Barely likes that Van and Tommy are in class where she can’t watch them.”

“No one will hurt him,” John smiled.

“I know that and you know that, Cap’, but Katie ain’t let go of our past yet,” Joel shrugged. “Still thinks you lot’ll gut the babe fer bein’ a McCree even though our name means fuck-all to yah.”

John nodded his head in agreement. He didn’t care what the McCrees did before coming to Haven. Joel had been nothing but a benefit to the community; he was a good shot and had an eye for the land even if he’d grown up in the desert. John knew they were only getting stronger the more people that came here, regardless of their backgrounds. He wasn’t about to turn them away.

Joel’s eyes narrowed as he looked into the forest. John could see the boys hiking out to retrieve the kill, but he felt the disturbance too. Something else was in the forest and it was closing in. John set Jesse down and pressed his finger to his lips. Jesse obediently sat quietly at his daddy’s feet as Joel handed a spare rifle over to John.

John brought the scope up to his eye and scanned the forest. “Omnics inbound,” he growled. “60 degrees north-northeast off from the eastern watchpoint. Two miles out and moving at about ten clicks.”

Joel relayed the information over the walkie-talkie. Within moments, the whole town was scrambling for the inner walls. John cocked the rifle and knelt down, bracing it against wall as the first horn sounded over the walls.

“Joel, take Jesse and get him to Katie,” John ordered. “Civilians inside the walls; you know that.”

He knew he didn’t have to order it, but it helped keep Joel from feeling too guilty. Joel grabbed his son, tucked him against his chest, slung his rifle over his shoulder, and bolted for the closest ladder. Katie was likely running for the wall and would meet him at the bottom before returning to the safety of the inner walls. If there was one thing to know about the McCrees, it was that they were deathly loyal to their own.

John crouched there waiting for the omnics to get within shooting distance. The forest kept them from attacking outright, but it only slowed them down for so long. Others were setting up along the wall, cocking rifles and shotguns and the odd AK for battle. Joel reappeared at his side, crouching down to set up and dropping loaded clips of ammo between them.

“Here they come,” Joel growled.

“Brace,” John ordered over the walkie-talkies. He waited until the first omnic stepped forward into his line of sight. “Contact!”

Bullets tore through the omnics as they approached. These weren’t the same bastards that were tearing up the big cities; the Bastion units were too slow and unwieldy to be used effectively in the forests. These were a lighter cousin, built for quick movements, but sacrificing the thick exoskeletons of the Bastions.

“We got more moving in from the north!” one of the scouts shouted over the walkie-talkies. “About twenty. Bigger than the ones we’ve dealt with.”

“Bastions?” John demanded.

“No, smaller than that; just bigger than the usual bunch,” the scout replied. “Sid’s hunters just got in with the boar. Locking down the doors now.”

“Understood,” John nodded before he braced the rifle against his shoulder and fired on the advancing omnics. “Gamma team, provide backup for the northern border.”

There was a shout of confirmation over the walkie-talkie before more gunfire rang out towards the north. John ejected the spent clip and snapped another one into place, snapping the bolt back as quickly as he could. They had a long fight ahead of them.

***

“Daddy!”

John smiled as he scooped Jack up into his arms and covered his chubby cheeks in kisses. Jack squealed and hugged his neck tightly, giggling as John hugged him close. John was exhausted, bone-weary and ready to collapse on his bunk and not wake until morning. He had to be a father first, though, and make sure that Jack was alright.

“You were good for Tammy?” he asked

“He was a doll,” Tammy Ziegler smiled. “He kept everyone nice and calm and distracted the little ones from all the noise.”

“That’s my Champ,” John praised as he hugged Jack close. “Let’s go get some supper and fill that hungry belly of yours.”

“Are you hungry, Daddy?” Jack asked as John turned and left the day-care.

“Starving,” John chuckled. “How was your day?”

“I was really scared when I heard the horns,” Jack whispered. “But everyone else was really scared too, so I did my best to be strong, just like you.”

“I’m proud of you,” John smiled as he headed for the soup kitchen. “But, you know, you’re allowed to be scared, Jack.”

“Are you scared?” Jack whispered.

“All the time,” John chuckled. “But I’m an adult. I have to keep you safe. I don’t have time to be scared.”

“Being an adult is hard work,” Jack sighed and slumped against his shoulders. “I don’t want to be an adult for a long time.”

“You enjoy being a kid, Jack,” John soothed as he stepped through the doors to the soup kitchen and wound his way up to the counter. “It’s the best years of your life.”

He ordered him and Jack some dinner to go, smiling at the young man that was talking excitedly about the shipment of spices they had managed to get in. His dyed blue hair was bobbing as he bounced on the balls of his feet, thanking John profusely for letting him into the community even though he was little more than ‘L.A trash’ as he called himself. John reassured him that he would always be welcome before he carried the containers of fresh fruit, steamed vegetables, and goat steaks back to his and Jack’s bunk.

“Yah got room in there for five more?” Joel asked as he, Katie, Jesse, Vanessa, and Thomas fell into step beside him.

“Always,” John smiled as he pushed the door open. “How’s that shoulder?”

“Fine,” Joel chuckled as he gave his bandaged arm a wiggle. “Got much worse shots in my life. Fucker only grazed my arm.”

“Wish you’d watch yer mouth around the kids,” Katie grumbled as she sat her son down in one of the highchairs.

“Kid’ll be cussin’ soon enough; ‘sides, he don’t know what the words mean,” Joel shrugged. “And how’s the littlest Morrison doin?”

“Good!” Jack chirped as he climbed up onto a chair. “Is it true that you used to be a gangster, Joel?”

“Now, where’d you hear that, scamp?” Joel laughed as he sat down, letting Vanessa crawl onto his lap so she could reach the tablle. “Was ol’ Peterson running his fool mouth again?”

“Yah,” Jack grinned. “He said you used to kill people in the West. Is that true?”

“I wasn’t a nice man,” Joel shook his head. “But you can’t be a criminal and raise good kids, can yah? Yer Daddy’s shown me that a hundred times over. I hope to be half the man John is.”

“You are,” Jack said as he reached across the table to pat Joel’s hand. “You’re the bestest daddy for Tommy, Van, and Jesse!”

“Well, I’m glad that you’ve got my back, Jack,” Joel chuckled. “Hopin’ my Jesse is as good as you are.”

Jack giggled and covered his face, blinking shyly at Joel. Joel and John exchanged amused expressions before John filled Jack’s plate with food.

“Better watch yourself, Katie,” John teased, “Jack’s got heart-eyes for Joel.”

“No I don’t!” Jack squeaked. “That’s a lie!”

“Ew, you have a crush on my dad,” Vanessa laughed. “That’s so gross!”

“No I don’t! They’re lying!” Jack shouted at her.

“That’s not funny, John,” Katie growled. “Vanessa, leave him alone.”

“Yes, Mama,” Vanessa ducked her head.

“It’s hilarious,” Joel chuckled as he kissed the top of Vanessa’s head. “Kid’s got his first crush. I’m honoured that the lil feller sees me as a catch.”

Jack turned bright red as Joel playfully winked at him and began shovelling his supper into his mouth to avoid looking at anyone. John chuckled as he popped a juicy piece of apple into his mouth.

“So, what did you need to talk about?” he asked.

John firmly believed that the kids were more than capable of understanding what was going on around them. He didn’t think they should be treated any differently when it came to important matters than anyone else in the community. They could handle more than their parents were willing to give them credit for. If Joel needed to talk about something, it could be said in front of the kids.

“Lot more omnic patrols movin’ through the area,” Joel sighed. “We ain’t sitting on a great stockpile of bullets, _cabrón_. We can’t keep up the patrols if we ain’t got bullets.”

John sighed and rubbed his face. “What do you suggest?”

“Lotta the cooks keep going fer useless supplies on their runs,” Joel said. “More interested in makin’ cakes and ganache or whatever the hell it’s called. Ain’t willin’ to buy other essential shit. Unless you tell ‘em, o’ course.”

John sighed and rubbed his neck. “I hear what you’re saying, Joel,” he murmured. “I should start sending scouts along with them when they do their city runs. I just….”

“You want everyone to feel like they belong,” John smiled. “It’s a noble cause, but you gotta put yer foot down. We don’t need cakes and cookies; they ain’t gunna keep the omnics from slaughterin’ us.”

John nodded his head. “I’ll talk with Muhammad tomorrow,” he said. “He’ll know which kids to send in with them.”

“Thank you,” Joel let out a long sigh. “Hate to have to count bullets and make sure I’m not about to run out. Pain in the ass.”

“What he said,” Vanessa chirped happily and accepted the steamed carrots Joel offered her.

John smirked as he popped a piece of fire-roasted goat into his mouth. It melted on his tongue, earning a soft groan as he chewed. Jack mimicked him, grinning as Katie shook her head and grumbled about boys and no table manners.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's just get this out of the way now. I know since the PTR dropped some important lore bits that Hanzo and Genji's dad's name is "Sojiro". Let's go with "he goes by his middle name" because I'm not changing Daiki's name. YOU WILL PRY HIM FROM MY COLD, DEAD HANDS, DO YOU HEAR ME?!

Muhammad Al-Hasan frowned and scratched his curly black hair. “Well, dog my cat; he raises a good point,” the Brit snorted. “The cooks have been grabbing things that we can live without. Or at least, not need all the time. Sweets are nice, but bullets are worth their weight in gold right now. I’ll get a few of my boys wrangled up for the next trip out and make sure they grab us some more bullets and the spare rifle or two if they can manage. Remind me to thank Joel for being the voice of reason.”

John smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Ham,” he chuckled.

Muhammad huffed and grumbled about his favourite nickname. One of the kids had a hard time pronouncing his name when he first got there and had asked if she could call him ‘Ham’ instead. She had only been three, unable to perfectly string the syllables together and a few of the other kids agreed that his name was difficult. Muhammad absolutely loved the nickname and didn’t care who called him it, although he did love to grumble about it with people that could easily pronounce his name.

“Sir!”

John turned to look at the scout that came running up to him. Laura Wong saluted, panting heavily as she tried to catch her breath. John made the ‘at ease’ motion and she slumped forward, pressing her hands against her knees. She straightened up after a moment and set her arms behind her back.

“Sir, there’re military personnel at the western watchpoint requesting permission to enter Haven and speak with you,” she said.

John stiffened. “Did they give a name?” he demanded as Muhammad cursed and pushed his fingers through his curly hair.

“One did, sir,” she swallowed. “Major Malaha Bashir. Short lady, black hair, blue hijab. Missing a bit of the end of her nose. Striking features.”

John let out a soft laugh before he headed for the Jeep. “Come on, best not to leave the Major waiting.”

He drove back to the western watchpoint with the scout sitting in the front seat blasting air conditioning in her face. There was a sports drink on her lap for her to replenish her electrolytes after running across the town to find him. He left her in the Jeep to cool down, smiling as she slumped against the dash to get the full force of the air conditioning in her face.

He mounted the steps to the overlook below the watchpoint and leaned on the railing. He smiled down at the Major as she lifted a hand to block the sunlight from shining in her eyes. As beautiful as he remembered and not a single gray hair yet. He was a little jealous.

“Well, aren’t you a long ways from Texas, Major?” he called down.

“I could say the same for you, Captain,” Malaha laughed. “Are you going to invite us in or are we going to go hoarse yelling at each other?”

“Joel, open the gate; they’re friends,” John called as he swung himself down to the lower deck.

Joel grunted and started the process of opening the thick metal doors to let their visitors in. Major Bashir strode through the door with her retinue in tow and John saluted immediately. She made the ‘at ease’ sign and smiled at him.

“You’re looking good, John,” she said. “Better than most at the moment.”

“Good food and a place to lay my head at night; I’m doing very well,” John agreed. “Major, welcome to Haven, Indiana.”

“Haven?” Malaha laughed. “Oh, John, you haven’t changed a bit.”

“Old friend?” Joel asked as he walked over with his rifle resting on his shoulder.

“Yes,” John smiled. “Major, this is Joel McCree. Joel, this is Major Malaha Bashir. We went through basic and were stationed in Siberia together under the same regiment.”

“Ah,” Joel inclined his head. “Nice ta meetcha, ma’am. Sorry ‘bout the hostile welcomin’ committee. Too many military boys come stompin’ up here thinkin’ they can just tell us what to do. Sometimes gotta remind them that we ain’t scared civies.”

“I am aware of how the local units have treated strongholds,” Malaha nodded. “I am looking into the matter personally and everyone involved will be compensated.”

“Food means more than money right now,” Joel shrugged. “Bullets too. If ya don’t mind, ma’am.”

Malaha chuckled. “Charming. I’ll see what I can do,” she said before looking at John. “We need to talk, Captain.”

“There’s a room right over here,” John said. “Joel, show the retinue to the soup kitchen. I’m sure they’re hungry.”

“Right. Long walk in,” Joel chuckled. “This way, boys.”

John led Malaha to a side room in the fortification wall and got some water for them. Malaha watched quietly as he puttered around the room. When he sat down, she sipped her water slowly.

“You’ve made a good life for yourself here,” she murmured. “I feel bad for what I’m about to ask, but you know I wouldn’t come here unless it was important.”

“Shoot,” John said as he sipped his water.

“The war is going badly,” Malaha sighed. “The omnics are tearing armies apart. There doesn’t seem to be any way to get them to stop.”

“That is troubling,” he murmured. “Doesn’t exactly look good for anyone involved, especially not anyone that has invested good money in their armies.”

“The United Nations has proposed an international taskforce to deal with the omnics head on,” she said. “They’d have border immunity, allowing them to chase the omnics wherever they ran regardless of the country they were in. It’s a group filled with amazing individuals, the best of the best and, failing that, the best the best has to offer.”

“And you want me to join up,” John shook his head.

“No, I want you to lead it,” Malaha replied.

John snapped his head up to look at her. “What?”

Malaha sighed and set her drink down. “John, the world is going to shit,” she said. “In spite of that, somehow, you’ve made an ordered society. Every other refugee camp and stronghold I’ve visited is a nightmare. But not Haven. You did that, John.”

“And the help of others,” John growled.

“Still humble,” Malaha smiled. “You know, you were the first person I thought of when I was asked to recommend someone. My superiors were impressed with what they saw in your file. From farmboy to shining star to retired military veteran raising a boy out in the forest in the middle of a refugee camp. You’re an amazing person to represent the Overwatch Initiative.”

John rubbed his eyes and sighed heavily. “Malaha, I’m retired.”

“The brass is willing to reinstate you,” she said. “All your ranks and titles are to be immediately reinstated, as well as progression for any promotions. They want you back, John. We all do. The army needs more men like you.”

John chuckled. “Malaha, if I take this offer, I need to be sure that everyone here is safe. I’m not leaving them high and dry to fend for themselves. We just got a whole bunch of new refugees from Virginia. If they aren’t properly integrated, it’ll be trouble.”

“Completely understandable,” she nodded. “I am willing and happy to do anything needed and provide whatever provisions you need. I’m not about to let one of the last stable areas of the country go to hell because I took their leader away from them.”

John nodded his head. “Okay,” he murmured. “I need to think this offer over, but you and your retinue are welcome to stay here until I’ve made up my mind. There’s plenty of places to sleep and more than enough food.”

“Of course, John,” Malaha nodded before she reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “It’s good to see you again. I’ve forgotten how damn bright that smile of yours is. Surprised everyone here isn’t tanned after standing in your presence.”

John laughed and lifted her hand to his mouth, kissing across the back of her hand. “You and Joel should get along swimmingly,” he teased. “Both irresponsible charmers.”

She laughed and threw her head back, removing her hand from his. She snorted into her fist, grinning at him enough to make her brown eyes sparkle. There had been a time when John had wanted to date and marry this woman, but those days were long behind him. It was just good to have an old friend around again, even if she had just offered him a very dangerous job.

* * *

 

“You do realize that I’m going with you,” Joel said.

“Of course,” John replied as he checked over his rifle one more time.

It was their turn to go hunting and it gave them a chance to talk in private. The whole town knew that the Major had offered John the position of Captain of an international task force. Whispers were abound about what that meant for them all and Joel knew that his friend needed some time in the woods to clear his head.

“I mean it,” Joel said as they headed out the southern gate. “I ain’t just posturing.”

“I know,” John threw him a smirk. “You just can’t ignore the call of adventure.”

“Pa!”

Joel turned and smirked at Vanessa as she came running up to them, her orange hunting blazer tied tightly around her. She grinned widely, the slingshot that Thomas had given her for her birthday dangling from her hip. She looked from Joel to John and clasped her hands in front of her.

“Please?”

“Alright, Birdie,” Joel chuckled. “But stay behind Pa and Uncle John, got it? No running off and no getting in front of our guns.”

“Okay, Pa!” Vanessa squealed and hurried after them.

John glanced at him and smiled as Vanessa eagerly held Joel’s hand. “Katie might just kill you,” he said, continuing as if Vanessa hadn’t interrupted them.

“Let’er,” Joel growled.

Things were rocky between him and Katie. Ever since they arrived at Haven to protect their precious darlings, she had been unbearable. She was ready to attack anyone and everyone and seemed to get a kick out of pointing out how everything was all Joel’s fault. She was acting like he had been the only one running with Deadlock and she had been an innocent little flower that he had dragged down into Hell. Her hands were just as bloody as his were, no matter how much she tried to convince herself that they weren’t.

“I suppose absence makes the heart grow fonder,” John mused as they walked across the forest floor.

“Somethin’ like that,” Joel chuckled. “Bird.”

John brought his rifle up and took the head clean off of the grouse. It flopped to the ground and Joel strode forward to tie it to his belt. Once he was certain the bird was secure, he followed John further into the forest, Vanessa trotting at their heels with a big grin on her face. Already in love with the smell of gunpowder. That was his little girl.

“You think about where yer leavin’ Jack?” Joel asked as he helped Vanessa over a log, kissing her nose to make her giggle.

“With Tammy,” John said. “He’s already comfortable with her and she’s great with kids. She’d keep him safe.”

“Hmm,” Joel mused. “And the town?”

“Ham,” John smiled. “He’ll keep everything running.”

“He won’t like it,” Joel laughed. “He likes just being in charge of the scouts.”

“I’ve already talked to him about it,” John chuckled. “He’s not happy, but he knows it’s important. The only one I have to talk to is Jack.”

“He’ll be okay,” Joel smiled reassuringly as they vaulted another log. “He’s a big boy. Van, honey, don’t climb...okay, actually, that’s fine.”

She grinned as she wiggled out from under the log and trotted over, hugging Joel’s leg.

“I know,” John said as he held out a hand. He shot the head off of another grouse and Joel went to collect it. “I just don’t want him to feel abandoned.”

“Jack’s a smart kid,” Joel soothed.

“That’s part of the problem,” John sighed and pushed a hand through his graying, golden blond hair. “He understands way too much.”

“Too much?” Joel asked as he let Vanessa tie the bird to her vest. “Now how is that possible, John?”

John shook his head. “He’s too understanding. He doesn’t act like a seven-year-old. He doesn’t get angry with me or cry or scream. He just quietly accepts it. It’s not fair to him. I never wanted to turn him into a little adult.”

Joel frowned as he checked a berry bush over before letting Vanessa devour the bright red berries. John had a point. Jack was unnaturally understanding for a seven-year-old. Hell, Tommy was as calm as can be and he still threw more hissyfits than Jack did. It was a little unnerving at times how very grown up Jack acted.

“You scared, John?” Joel asked as he accepted the handful of berries from his daughter and popped them into his mouth.

“Very,” John sighed.

“Jack’s scared too,” Vanessa piped up as she cleaned her fingers. “He says that people die when they go to fight the omnics. He’s really scared that you’ll never come back, Uncle John.”

“Oh?” John asked as he tilted his head to the side. “You sure about that, Hummingbird?”

Vanessa nodded. “Yup. He’s trying to be really brave for you, Uncle John. He doesn’t want you to worry about him. But he’s really scared,” she smiled.

“And how does my little hummingbird know this?” Joel teased as she ruffled her hair. “Mighty smart for a four-year-old.”

“Jack’s my best friend!” Vanessa glared at him and reached up to fix her hair. “He tells me everything!”

“And did he tell you not to tell me?” John smirked.

Vanessa grinned and shook her head. “Nope! He never said a thing,” she giggled. Her face fell before she looked at Joel. “Tommy said you’re going with Uncle John. That you won’t be back for a really long time. Is that true, Pa?”

“It is, pumpkin,” Joel sighed. He sat down on the forest floor and let her snuggle up on his lap. “But I’m doin’ this to keep you, Tommy, and Jesse safe.”

“The omnics are dangerous,” Vanessa swallowed and rubbed at her eyes. “I don’t want you to go.”

Joel hugged his daughter close and kissed her forehead. She snuggled close, wrapping her little arms around his neck. She whimpered and sniffled, wiping her nose on the collar of his shirt.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” Joel murmured. “You got yer Ma, hummingbird. She’ll look after ya.”

“Okay,” Vanessa murmured. “Can I shoot yer rifle before you leave?”

Joel smirked and kissed her nose. “You bet; next bird we see you can shoot, okay?”

“Okay,” she smiled and rubbed her eyes. “I love you, Pa. More than there are stars in the sky.”

“I love you too, my little hummingbird,” Joel cooed as he covered her face in kisses.

She squealed happily as he got to his feet, swinging her up onto his back to cling like a baby koala. She giggled, grinning at John as they continued on their hunt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *start's humming 'Daddy's Girl'* Hope you enjoyed that chapter~


	3. Chapter 3

John smiled sadly as he watched Jack run around the room getting everything set up for supper. What a good little boy he had, so willing to get everything ready while John was out hunting for the town. Jack grinned happily at him when he was finished, rocking back and forth on his feet like a proper seven year old. It was the moment of truth and John was stalling. He really didn’t want to talk to Jack about this but he had to. Jack deserved to know what was going on.

“I got supper for us,” Jack said. “I figured you’d be really tired after hunting all day.”

John sighed as he walked forward and took Jack’s hand. “We need to talk, Jack,” he said.

“No we don’t!” Jack shouted and tugged hard on his hand. “Daddy, we’re fine! Let’s just have supper! I’m so hungry!”

“Jack,” John sat down on the bed and pulled his son between his knees. “I’m leaving.”

Tears sprang immediately to Jack’s eyes, but he tried to smile. “No you aren’t. Ham was lying. He really not a good liar.”

“Jack, it’s okay to be upset,” John soothed. “But lying to yourself about the situation won’t make it better. I’m leaving very soon and I want you to be ready for that.”

Jack looked away and sniffled. Tears started falling down his face and he lunged at John, beating his fists angrily against John’s chest. It surprised him for a moment, long enough for Jack to wind up for another round of punching. John grabbed Jack’s elbows and locked his arms across each other, keeping his son from hitting him again. It didn’t hurt, but he didn’t want his son to get in the habit of striking others when he was scared, upset, or angry.

“Jonathan Hope Morrison,” John said sternly as Jack sobbed. “We use our words to express our feelings, not our fists. I can’t help you if you don’t talk.”

“I don’t want you to leave!” Jack shrieked. “You’re going to leave me all alone! Just like Momma did!”

“Ssh,” John soothed as he pulled Jack close. “I’m not going to leave like Momma did. I can promise you that.”

John tried his best not to think about Sarah too much. They had been going through a divorce when she died in a car accident. Part of him had been relieved when she died and he’d felt guilty once he had his boots back on American soil and he saw his son in person for the first time. There had been his son, left to mourn his dead mother all by himself while John was sighing in relief over not getting nasty calls from her lawyer in the dead of night anymore.

His son had been the main sticking point of the entire fight. Sarah hadn’t wanted to give him any rights to Jack, claiming he was an unfit father. Her reasoning was that he was too dedicated to his job and barely spent any time with his son. Forgetting the fact that John had been deployed at the time, it was damn near impossible to hop a plane out of the middle of nowhere at any given time to zip home for any occasion. John was providing for his family with his deployments and video-chatted with his son whenever he could. He wasn’t being purposefully neglectful; it just happened that way.

John had more than proved that he was a competent father and caregiver. He just wished it hadn’t been forced about in such a tragic way. He believed he could have saved his marriage if he hadn’t gotten the orders to spend more time in the ass end of Korea. He’d never know and maybe that was for the best.

“People go to war and die,” Jack whispered.

“Jack, I’m going to be honest with you,” John said as he held Jack by the hips, “I would die a thousand times if it meant giving you a better life. You are my world, Jack. If keeping you safe means that I have to go overseas and fight omnics, I’ll do it.” He brushed his thumb over Jack’s tear-stained cheek and smiled. “Nothing is too much for you, Jack.”

“You will come back,” Jack glared at him.

“I can’t promise that, Jack,” he murmured. “That’s a promise I never want to break. But,” he reached up and pulled his dog-tags off, holding them in his hand, “I want you to have these.”

Jack frowned as he picked the tags up. “Dad? What are these?” he asked.

“Dog-tags,” John smiled. “Every soldier’s issued them. It helps to identify the bodies of those that fell in battle.”

“But you need them! I can’t keep them!”

“They’re probably going to issue me new ones to go with this position I’m accepting,” John chuckled and kissed Jack’s forehead. “You keep them close to you, Jack. I know they’ll help keep you safe.”

Jack held the dog-tags close before he slipped them over his neck. “Okay,” he murmured. “I love you, Dad. Please come home safe.”

“I will try,” he promised as he hugged him close. “Now, let’s have supper.”

* * *

 

“I can’t believe yer abandoning us,” Katie hissed.

“I ain’t,” Joel growled as he packed a few more clothes into his bag. “I’m goin’ to war.”

“There’s a difference?” she demanded.

“Yes, there is,” he snapped. “Fer fuck sakes, stop tryin’ to make me out to be the bad guy in fronna our kids.”

“Yer the one leavin’, not me,” she snapped back.

Joel had never wanted to strike Katie before, but in that moment it would have been nice to knock her on her ass and remind her who the fuck she was talking to. She seemed to think he was some puppy-dog that she could kick and expect to come running right back to her. He was a coiled rattler giving all the warning signs to back off and she was still prodding him with a stick. He couldn’t stand being pushed around and Katie was the last person that should have been trying. She knew what he was capable of and the fact that she kept pushing was infuriating.

“You tell yerself whatever you want to feel better,” he said as he hoisted his bag onto his shoulder, “but don’t you fuckin’ dare lie to the kids. They’re way smarter than you give them credit and won’t take bein’ lied to.”

She glared at him as he brushed past her. His kids were waiting for him on the other side of the door, smiling nervously as he stepped out. He walked over to them and hugged all three of them close, kissing over their foreheads.

“You help yer Ma, ya hear?” he said sternly. “You do what she says and you stay outta trouble. Don’t wanna come back and find out y’all were little shits while I was gone.”

“I promise,” Tommy whispered before he hugged Joel tightly. “Come home safe.”

“I will,” Joel soothed as he got to his feet.

Vanessa clung to his hand the whole way out to the yard. Tommy was carrying Jesse, tears streaming down his face as he sniffled loudly. Katie didn’t follow. He wasn’t at all surprised. She was going to milk this for all she was worth. Bitch.

Joel headed for the crowd surrounding the convoy ready to head out of Haven. Tears were flowing freely as sons and daughters were kissed good-bye. Everyone parted around Joel, patting his shoulders and arms when they could. He nodded to the familiar faces before he stepped up to John and smiled.

John was comforting Jack, hugging his son close as he sobbed. Tammy was dabbing at her eyes, promising that she would take good care of Jack while he was gone. Vanessa let go of Joel’s hand to hug Jack around the chest, petting his hair as he turned to hug her in return. She comforted him, whispering that they were going to be alright, and Jack nodded and whimpered that he knew that.

“Take care, Tammy,” Joel said as he pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “You look after yerself, ya hear?”

“You too, Joel,” she smiled at him. “And keep an eye on John’s back. We both know he’d be lost without someone keeping an eye on him.”

“Don’t I know it,” Joel smiled before he gave his kids one more good-bye hug and kiss.

The soldiers that were leaving climbed up into the back of the canvas covered vehicles and waved as they drove out of Haven. Vanessa, Tommy, and Jack were at the front of the crowd. Jack was holding tightly onto Vanessa’s hand, waving furiously as they both cried. Joel could see Vanessa straining to pull free of Jack’s grip, but those three years he had on her were enough to keep her still.

They drove out through the gates and the crowd faded from sight. John reached out and removed the canvas from the hooks keeping the back open, letting them fall to hide the sight of the dwindling gates. Joel settled back in his seat and looked at his boots to avoid making eye-contact with the other people in the truck.

None of them were talking eagerly about what was coming. They’d seen too much in their short lives to naively think that war was a game. One of the young scouts shifted in her seat and leaned forward, chewing on her lip.

“Sir?” Laura asked, addressing John. “I know it’s probably callous to ask, but what do you think our chances of survival are?”

John turned to look at her and was silent for a long time. No one else said a word as John weighed his words carefully.

“You have a fifty-fifty chance of getting out of this war alive,” he said finally. “You’re either going to die or you’re going to live. There’s really nothing else to be said about that.”

A soft chuckle rolled through the truck. Joel nodded his head in approval as he reached up to adjust his hat. John looked at each one of them and smiled.

“You can believe that I’ll do my best to get you all home safely,” he said. “I’ve never been one to throw the lives of my team away carelessly to achieve an objective. I’ll do everything in my power to keep you alive. All you have to do is watch your ass and the ass of the people around you.”

“Understood, sir,” Laura smiled and saluted.

Joel let out a snort of amusement before he pulled his hat down over his face. “Wake me if somethin’ interestin’ happens.”

He settled back against the canvas and crossed his ankles over each other. The crunch of twigs and leaves under the tires of the convoy lulled him to sleep.

* * *

 

“I miss Pa,” Vanessa murmured.

“He’s only been gone a few hours,” Tommy smiled. “He’ll be back before you know it. Everyone says that Uncle John’ll end this war really fast.”

“I really miss him though,” Vanessa shook her head. “I want him back.”

“Me too,” Tommy said as he hugged her. “But it’ll be okay. We have each other, so Pa doesn’t have to worry about us.”

Vanessa nodded and swung her legs from the ledge they were dangling over. Technically, they weren’t supposed to be up there since it was only supposed to be the guards patrolling Haven’s boarder, but they didn’t say anything today. All the guards understood that the kids of those that left were really upset and needed to be up higher to feel safe.

Tommy pulled her into a hug and rubbed over her arms. She snuggled into his side and smiled, enjoying how close he was. They stayed up on the walkway for a little while longer just being quiet, but they knew they had to go home. It would be suppertime soon and Ma would be angry if they were late.

They climbed down from the walkway and headed for the bunks, nodding and waving to the people that greeted them. Vanessa liked living in such a small community; everyone knew each other and it wasn’t considered weird to be over at someone’s house for supper even if she barely knew them. Tommy said that life in Santa Fe had been very different, that you didn’t talk to strangers because they might hurt you. She was glad that it wasn’t the case here.

“Ma, we’re home,” Tommy called as he entered their bunk. “Dinner smells good.”

Dinner smelt bland, actually. Had Ma forgotten to use spices or something? She was always going on and on about how great Puerto Rican cooking was and how Pa should let her cook more often. Why did it smell like she hadn’t even tried?

“Where were you two?” Ma demanded as they trotted into the dining room and kitchen and living room.

“Up on the walkway,” Tommy shrugged. “Needed to be somewhere high.”

“Uh huh,” Vanessa agreed as she moved towards her seat. “We were talking about how we missed Pa. It’s okay to be really lonely now that he’s gone.”

“You should just forget about him; he’s not coming back,” Ma snapped as she set what looked like a chunk of roast on the table. “He left us.”

“No he didn’t!” Vanessa blinked at her in confusion. “He left with Uncle John. He’ll come back, he promised!”

“Your Pa is good at breaking promises,” Ma growled. “Just forget about him, Vanessa. He’s already forgotten about you.”

“That’s not true!”

Vanessa screamed as Ma slapped her across the face. Tommy shouted and took a step forward, but backed off as Ma turned the tip of her carving knife at him. Vanessa whimpered as she held her cheek, staring at her mother in confusion. She’d been tapped on the mouth and bottom before lots of times when she had been bad; Pa made sure they knew why too; but she had never been slapped.

“Don’t you talk back to me,” Ma said as she rounded on Vanessa. “Bad little girls talk back to their Mas. Are you a bad girl, Vanessa?”

“No,” Vanessa whimpered. “I’m sorry.”

“Good,” Ma smiled. “Now sit at the table.”

“I’m not hungry anymore,” Vanessa whispered as she backed up. “I’m going to bed.”

“Vanessa, sit at the table or I’ll paddle your backside,” Ma warned. “There will be no more disrespect in this house, do you hear me? Your Pa has been a horrible parent to you.”

“Pa never slapped me!” Vanessa shouted. “You hurt me!”

“I’ll do worse if you don’t stop talking back to me,” Ma’s eyes narrowed. “Yer my daughter and it’s high time I started teaching you how to be a proper little girl. Now sit at the table and eat your supper.”

Vanessa felt tears building in her eyes as she stepped away. She shook her head and bolted for the bedroom, locking it firmly behind her. She could hear her Ma shouted furiously at her through the door, but she ignored her. She climbed into her bed and pulled her pillow down over her ears, whimpering as Ma pounded on the door.

Her stomach growled long after Ma shouted that she wouldn’t be eating anything for a long time. She missed Pa so much; he’d never do that to her. He always encouraged her to speak her mind, but he didn’t like being insulted. He wouldn’t have tapped her mouth over something like that though; he’d just give her the dread Glare and she’d know that she had to apologize and think about what she’d said. He only tapped her mouth if she swore or said something really mean to her brother and he’d tell her that wasn’t how she talked to her siblings. She’d get a tap on the butt too if she got too rough during play with Jesse. It was usually just a quick cuff on the bottom and an order to be gentle. He’d never slapped her across the face; he’d never slapped Tommy across the face either.

She didn’t understand why Ma had slapped her. She didn’t understand why Ma thought Pa had abandoned them. He was out fighting a war. He’d come back when he was done. He promised and Pa never broke his promises.

“Hey,” Tommy whispered as he knocked on the door. “Van, can ya let me in? Supper was terrible, but I got yer share nice and safe for ya.”

Vanessa got up and unlocked the door, letting her big brother into her room. She sniffled and rubbed at her nose as he closed the door behind him. He set the plate of food down on the nightstand before turning around to hug her close.

“Ma’s wrong,” he said softly. “About everythin’. Pa’s comin’ back and ya weren’t bad. I love you, Van. I love you so much. Please don’t cry anymore.”

“I want Pa home now,” she whispered. “Ma’d never hit us if he were here.”

“Yer right,” Tommy whispered. “So we just have to be careful. Ma ain’t got any right to hit ya. So I’m gunna look after ya, kay?”

“Okay, Tommy,” she smiled and rubbed at her cheek. “I love you.”

Tommy smiled before easily picking her up and setting her on her bed. He playfully tried to feed her supper, using the same method that Pa used on Jesse to get him to eat when he was little. She giggled, making sure to keep her voice down so Ma didn’t hear and played along. She’d be okay if Tommy was watching her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we see the biggest difference in John and Joel's child rearing skills. John encourages words while Joel uses words and a little bit of touch. But all is not well in the McCree household, not at all.


	4. Chapter 4

“Captain,” Malaha greeted as John and his group stepped into the briefing room.

“Major,” he greeted in return and saluted.

Everyone followed suit, except for Joel, who just tipped his hat like the typical Southern gentleman he tried to style himself as. The Major gave Joel a fond look before she shook her head. Leave it to Joel to charm everyone in high command into not caring if he saluted or not. He’d be charming them out of their wallets if they allowed it; he was good at getting what he wanted. John glanced past Malaha and took stock of the group assembled around the table. Young eyes stared at him, each one a little more nervous than the last.

“So, this is Overwatch?” John asked. “A motley bunch, if nothing else.”

“The best from around the world, Captain Morrison,” Malaha chuckled. “Don’t let their age fool you; they’re as dedicated to this cause as you are and just as qualified.”

“It’s not their dedication I worry about,” John replied as his eyes landed on an enormous young man with barely the beginnings of a beard on his chin. “Why the hell is there a teenager at my table?”

The boy in question grinned widely before he got to his feet, holding a massive hand out towards John. He was easily almost six and a half feet tall and by the looks of him, he wasn’t done growing yet. He wasn’t just tall, either; he was covered in thick muscles. Was it natural for a kid his age to be that ripped? It was sort of disquieting.

“Reinhardt Wilhelm at your service!” he boomed, making Laura squeak in surprise.

Kid had a good set of lungs on him too. At least someone’s voice was going to carry over the battlefield when orders needed to be shouted.

“Captain Morrison,” John replied as he shook the boy’s hand. “That doesn’t tell me why you’re here, kid.”

“Ah, I was nominated from my order,” Reinhardt beamed and puffed his chest out. “We Crusaders are the best that Germany has to offer!”

“Never heard of the group,” John said coldly. “And I question their motives for sending a child to me.”

“John,” Joel elbowed him in the side. “Ease up. I was runnin’ guns when I was his age.”

“Let’s not bring up your sordid past, Joel,” John shot him a look. “It is not a good example to use.”

“Why not? Best they know who they’re dealin’ with,” Joel smirked. “‘Sides, hard to call anyone that’s as big as Reinhardt a kid. Fuck, he’s bigger than I am and I ain’t a short-ass, unlike you, Snow White.”

“Snow White had ebony black hair; I’m more like Cinderella,” John shook his head. “Van is going to be so insulted that you didn’t pay attention to our discussion, Joel. And after she decided you were Robin Hood too.”

“Considerin’ the one she was talkin’ about was a fox, I’m sort of happy about forgettin’ it ‘til this moment,” he teased before winking at Reinhardt. “Little girls are usually pretty good at complimentin’ ya, but they’re just as fast to insult ya thinkin’ they’re being cute. She’d probably call you ‘Little John’ or Ballou cuz a yer size.”

Reinhardt grinned and puffed his chest out even more. Leave it to the kid to take being likened to a bear as a compliment. John did his best not to roll his eyes as Joel leaned on the table.

“How long you serve, Reinhardt?” Joel asked.

“A little over a year, sir,” Reinhardt smiled.

“Ah, don’t sir me; I ain’t the one with the shiny badge on my chest,” Joel laughed. “Just call me Joel. Or McCree; I’ll answer to both.”

“So they’re sending a private instead of an officer,” John growled. “They aren’t fighting their case very well.”

“John, breathe,” Joel shot him a smirk. “Decision’s already been made. Roll with it.”

“I could hit you,” John glared at him.

Joel smirked more and flipped him off. John reached out and cuffed the older man over the head, but all it got him was a gruff laugh and a hand in his hair ruffling it roughly.

“That’s ol’ Cap fer ya,” Joel crowed. “Cares too much fer his own good. Don’t worry, boys and girls, John’ll carry yer busted ass off the battlefield no matter how much he’s cussin’ you out.”

John reached up to try and fix his ruffled hair, glaring at Joel, but it softened at the man’s fond smile. Joel set his hands on his hips before he glanced around at the table.

“So, who else wants to introduce themselves?” he asked. “You know, before the Cap’ is forced to give his military spiel and we’re all reduced to numbers in some jackass’ book.”

A woman rose elegantly to her feet and bowed her head. “Shimada Miyu,” she said with a lighter Japanese accent than John was expecting. “It is an honour to serve with you, Morrison-sama.” She glanced up and smirked at him. “You can return the bow if you wish, just keep your head above mine.”

“I’ll settle for a handshake,” John replied.

“Thank Christ!” Miyu laughed as she reached across the table to shake his hand. “I hate having to deal with Americans that don’t know the first thing about proper bows.”

Joel cackled with glee at her comment and tipped his hat. “Ah, lil lady, I think we’re gunna get along just fine,” he teased.

“I should hope so,” she winked. “We ex-criminals have to stick together.”

“What?” Laura piped up.

Joel lifted his hat a little out of his eyes and squinted at Miyu. Miyu smirked and batted her eyelashes, shifting her shoulders back and forth. Joel threw his head back and laughed, reaching out to thump John’s chest.

“Well I’ll be,” he laughed. “If it ain’t the White Dragon of Hanamura! My, you grew up into a fine young lady, Miss Miyu. I didn’t recognize ya!”

“Care to fill the rest of us in?” John sighed.

“Deadlock and the Shimada clan had some dealin’s over the years,” Joel grinned. “Miyu’s the fine offspring of a powerful yakuza leader. ‘Though, I expect if yer here, that cousin of yers finally managed to wrench control from yer elders.”

“Exactly,” Miyu nodded. “I am here as a peace offering from the Shimada Clan to the Japanese Military.”

“So we’re working with criminals,” a man growled, glaring at Miyu and Joel. “Is this really the best the world has to offer?”

“Who the governments chose to send is out of my control, Sergeant,” Malaha said. “You will just have to deal with it.”

“You expect me to trust criminals to watch my back?” the Sergeant demanded, his dark eyes narrowing. “This is _loco_.”

“I have no reason to turn on you unless you give me a reason to, Reyes-san,” Miyu inclined her head.

Sergeant Reyes glared at her and said something in Spanish. John’s Spanish was horrible; he’d learned French in high school and the most he could say was “hello” and “where’s the bathroom”. Miyu smiled sweetly at the Sergeant before punching him across the face and knocking him flat on his ass. She gave her fist a shake and set a hand on her hip.

“You know what he said?” John asked as everyone shuffled closer to stare at the dazed man on the floor.

“Not a clue,” she shrugged. “But I know when I’ve been insulted.”

“Pretty sure I heard a _puta_ in there,” Joel chuckled. “So he at least called you a ‘bitch’.”

“Typical,” Miyu smirked before looking at John. “So,” she smiled, “when do we leave?”

* * *

 

“So, you got anyone waiting for you at home, Captain?”

Joel glanced up. Sergeant Reyes still had a beautiful black eye from where Miyu had punched him, but the idiot had at least stopped insulting her when she was in hearing range. He had pitched a fit when John made it clear that Joel was his Second in Command over a “more qualified” military officer. Joel was still waiting for the right moment to pin the man to a wall and shake some sense into him. Now was not the time for his backwards, bro-military logic. They had a dangerous war to win.

“Kid,” John smiled. “Only seven.”

“Look like you or his mom?” Reyes asked.

“Him,” Laura smirked. “Damn near spitting image, if you ask me. Great big blue eyes and corn-gold blond hair. Such a little sweetie.”

“Thank you, Laura,” John shook his head. “I’m sure Jack will love that you said that. He’s always so scared people won’t know he’s my son.”

Laura grinned widely before she returned to listening to her iPod. Joel shook his head in amusement as Reyes lifted an eyebrow at Laura. He clearly didn’t approve of the scout being on the same team as him either. Whether because she was young or inexperienced with military protocol was something Joel still had to puzzle out. Reyes shook his head and turned back to John.

“So, what, you white boys just breed true or something?” he asked.

“Wow, asshole,” Joel called. “My kids look like me too.”

“Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it,” Reyes smiled. “You know that, right, _gringo_?”

John shot him a look and shook his head. Just like the big boss to let insults slide so that no feathers were ruffled. Kid better not think Joel was that nice.

“What about you, Reyes? Who’s waiting at home for you?” John asked.

“Brother, sister-in-law, and their kids,” Reyes smirked.

“How sweet,” John said icily.

“Oh, come on, Cap; I’m just playing around,” Reyes said sweetly. “What’s the matter; can’t take a joke?”

“Jokes should be funny,” Miyu said as she walked over and dropped down between John and Reyes. “Not meant to make someone feel small over something as petty as living family members.”

“I’d listen to the lady,” Joel commented as he readjusted his hat. “Ain’t gunna get anywhere if we’re at each other’s throats over stupid shit like this.”

“Hey, I’m just trying to make small talk,” Reyes lifted his hands.

“Then speak of something else,” Miyu replied.

“Fine; what’s home to you?” Reyes demanded.

“A village on top of a hill,” Miyu smiled. “It’s old and swamped by tradition. Tokyo is not far from us, so at night you can see the lights in the sky. It’s beautiful in spring, full of warmth and sunshine. There are cherry blossoms floating everywhere. I miss it.”

“How long you been away, Miyu?” Joel asked.

“Two years,” Miyu looked down at her feet. “I have been protecting the rest of Asia from the omnics. I have not held my cousin’s son since he was born. My cousin tells me that he is expecting another child. I want to be there to hold them at least once.”

“Home’s a farm,” John sighed. “Corn plantations as far as the eye can see. Wide open spaces. Porch with a swing seat. Tire swing hanging from the old oak in the front yard. Chickens running around and pecking at everything. Dirt road all the way up to the highway. Sweet ice tea on a summer night.”

“Sounds like heaven,” Miyu smiled. “What happened to it?”

“Omnics,” John sighed. “Don’t know how much is left of the old farmstead. Could probably save something of it when this hell is done with. What about you, Joel?”

Joel smiled as he tipped his hat back. “Wild west is what I call home,” he chuckled. “Hot sun, sun-baked earth, not a tree fer miles in any direction. Just you, a gun, and whatever mode of transportation you prefer. Used to drive an ol’ pick-up, personally. But, home’s also a warm house filled with the laughter of children. Never thought I’d be much of a family man ‘til my little rugrats were born.”

“Apartment in Bloomington,” Laura said as she pulled an earbud out. “Not overly fancy, but it’s nice. Just me, Dad, and Tigger.”

“A village in Germany,” Reinhardt sighed softly from where he was sitting. “The cool breezes of summer wafting in out of the forest. Homemade bread filling the house. I will never see it again.”

“I’m sorry,” Joel murmured. “Omnics?”

“ _Ja_ ,” Reinhardt nodded his head. “It is what spurred me into the army so young. There was nothing left of my home and I could not bear the thought of others suffering as I did. I swore I would protect all that I could. I do not plan on breaking that vow ever.”

“What about you, Reyes?” Joel asked. “What’s home to you?”

Reyes shifted uncomfortably and looked away. “A home in L.A,” he grumbled. “Nothing special about it. Just nice and full of people.”

“Any of them actually miss you?” Joel growled in Spanish. Reyes looked at him in surprise and Joel smiled. “What, you really think you’re the only one capable of knowing two languages?”

“Didn’t peg you as being Mexican,” Reyes said. “Little dark.”

“Not Mexican; Navajo,” Joel shrugged. “Learned Spanish in high school and kept at it since it was useful to know. Regardless, you’re a right arrogant bastard. You think only Mexicans can speak Spanish? A good chunk of the fucking world speaks Spanish, jackass.”

“You don’t talk like a white boy, that’s all.”

“And racist to boot,” Joel snorted, wishing he could spit. He was pretty sure the pilot would gut him if he spat in her plane. “Fuckers like you give the rest of us a bad name.”

“Rest of us?” Reyes demanded. “You’re nothing but a half-bred…”

“Oh, finish that sentence,” Joel snarled as he got to his feet, “I dare ya!”

“Joel,” John got to his feet. “I don’t know what you two are arguing about, but it’s not worth it.”

“Yes, listen to your slave driver,” Reyes smirked.

“John, I gotta lot of respect fer ya, but let me handle this,” Joel growled. “This shitstain needs to learn a lesson.”

John looked at him before he gently pulled Miyu to her feet. “You don’t want to be in his way,” he said at her indignant look. “Trust me.”

Joel waited until Miyu and John had moved to a different set of seats before he attacked. The shock in Reyes’ eyes was satisfying as Joel slammed him against the wall. He recovered fast, driving his knee up into Joel’s stomach to make him back off. He underestimated how fast Joel could recover, however, and wasted the few precious seconds to smirk.

Joel surged forward and grabbed Reyes by the head, wrenching him around. He smashed his head to the ground and got an elbow to the jaw during the maneuver. He bit the end of his tongue, filling his mouth with blood as he stumbled back. He grinned, letting Reyes see the gory sight, before he spat on the floor. He wasn’t exactly going to swallow it; he’d clean it up afterwards so the pilot didn’t kill him.

He saw the combat knife emerge from Reyes’ boot as he looked up. He blocked the blow, grinning as he twisted Reyes’ arm under his. He wrenched up, forcing Reyes’ hand open and making him drop the knife.

“Next time you pull a knife,” Joel growled before his machete came free of its sheath, “make sure your opponent doesn’t have a bigger one.” He pressed the blade against Reyes’ cheek and dragged it slowly down the curve of his jaw. “Now remember yer place or yer gunna find out why they call me ‘Coyote’. I ain’t the big boss. I ain’t nice to shits like you.”

He pulled away slowly, running the tip of his machete under Reyes’ trembling chin. He pulled it away swiftly, nicking the skin just enough to make a thin line of red appear. He slipped his machete back into its sheath before heading for the medical supply cupboard in search of something that would make his tongue stop bleeding. Reyes got the message loud and clear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we meet Reinhardt! Hurray for much younger, barely grown Reinhardt that is going to beat people up with a freaking hammer! Miyu is Hanzo and Genji's second cousin on their dad's side. Reyes is Gabe's uncle.
> 
> And there's a reason that you don't fuck around with Joel. Guy seems nice and sweet, but push just a bit too far and he becomes a very scary individual. John knows this. There's a reason he wants Joel at his side.


	5. Chapter 5

“Welcome to Zurich, Switzerland,” Malaha smiled as they stepped off the cargo plane. “It’s a crisp ten degrees Celsius without a cloud in sight and winds at about ten kilometers an hour.”

“What were you, an airline hostess?” Reyes demanded as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his standard issue jacket.

“My mother was,” Malaha laughed. “Follow me.”

John fell into step behind Malaha, smirking a little as Joel grumbled about the chill. The cowboy was bundled up in his jacket, glaring at the sky whenever the wind tried to steal his hat. No one else was having an issue with the cold, just the Southerner that had never fully adjusted to anything below “melt the skin from your face” heat.

“This is Overwatch headquarters,” Malaha said as they approached the gleaming building. “All of your briefings and debriefings will be done here. All of our field data will also be processed here. Basically, everything that will happen and is going to happen will happen under this roof.”

“Swanky,” Joel commented as they walked through the glass doors. “Far beyond my pay grade.”

“Far beyond most of our pay grades,” John agreed as he looked around. “Oh what the governments of the world are willing to put out when pushed enough. Starving people can die in the streets, but war? Always ready to fuel a war.”

Everything was state of the art, gleaming and shimmering in the lighting far overhead. Holographic images flickered back and forth on the screens as people walked past. VI units droned to the people that demanded their attention, symbols from every culture on Earth used to represent the innumerable personalities behind the screen. Eyes slowly turned to regard them as Malaha led the way across the tiled floor towards a pair of double doors. She pushed them open and continued onwards with the rest of Overwatch at her heels. She led them straight to a council room where a long tables of decorated men in dress blues were waiting. Jack and Reyes immediately straightened up, quickly followed by Reinhardt, Miyu, and the rest of the entourage. All except Joel.

“Howdy,” he greeted as he tipped his hat.

The Generals glared at Joel, but no one said anything as he settled back on his heels. Malaha gave the formal introductions before she turned the floor over to the man sitting in the center of the table. The man regarded John closely before he tipped his chin forward.

“We are told that you are good at getting results, Captain Morrison,” he said.

“I am,” John replied simply.

There was a reason that he and most of the people in his unit ascended the ranks so quickly. They were smart, talented, and knew how to get what they needed out of a mission. They were ambitious, cunning, and more than one had been ruthless in their efforts to get places. John didn’t consider himself anything special, but when he had a goal in mind, he accomplished it no matter what. 

“We need this war brought to a close as quickly as possible,” the General said.

“Consider it done,” John inclined his head. “All I need is time to go over the information available, talk with your experts, and devise strategies. War might still be a few years before it’s done, but the omnics will not be winning on my watch.”

“You have free reign of the facility, Captain,” the General said. “Do as you must.”

John heard the dismissal in the tone and saluted. He turned around, shooing everyone out ahead of him as Joel walked at his heels. He heard Joel snort as the doors closed behind them and glanced over his shoulder at his friend.

“Never liked suits,” Joel grumbled. “Don’t trust them one bit.”

“You don’t have to,” John smirked. “Just trust me.”

Joel clapped his shoulder and gave him a gentle shake. “Trust ya to the moon, old man,” he teased.

John shoved Joel’s shoulder before he headed straight for the labs. He walked in with Joel on his heels and sought out the head scientist. He was a little surprised to find an engineer in charge of the whole operation, but he supposed it made sense. Dr. Torbjörn Lindholm was a grumpy individual with a clear case of dwarfism, but he knew how mechanics worked better than anything John had ever seen.

“These damn tin cans,” Torbjörn growled as he jerked a thumb at the parts on his work table, “make my life difficult. Designed to make the world a better place and they wind up scraping it instead. Ungrateful.”

Joel whistled as he looked the bench over. “Tommy would love to be here,” he chuckled. “All these parts to tinker with.”

“Well, where is the man then?” Torbjörn glared at him. “I need as many hands as I can manage to find in order to figure out how best to dismantle these things.”

“Tommy’s ten,” Joel grinned. “Don’t think you want to be dealin’ with my boy, doc.”

Torbjörn let out a chuckle. “Ah, well, sometimes kids can see things better than us adults,” he said. “So, when are we getting deployed, Captain? Been itchin’ to try out some new weapons.”

“As soon as I can get enough information to plan our first strike,” John shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t like charging in blind. Don’t like sending people out to die needlessly.”

“We’ll be ready when you are, Captain,” Torbjörn nodded his head. “I might not be the tallest man, but you won’t find anyone more willing to follow you into battle against the omnics.”

“Thank you, Torbjörn,” John smiled as he got to his feet. “I’ll let you know when we’re ready to deploy.”

“Little overzealous,” Joel commented when they left the lab.

“A tad,” John agreed. “He’s likely been fighting since the beginning. Don’t be too hard on him.”

Joel snorted before he clapped John’s back. “Well, I don’t know about you, Cap, but I’m starvin’,” he grinned. “Let’s go get us some grub.”

* * *

 

“Van?” Jack called as he trotted up the stairs to the “Secret Room”. “Van, are you up here? Your Ma’s really worried.”

The Secret Room wasn’t really secret, but it was difficult for most of the adults to get into. The hallways had low ceilings and weren’t very wide, and the best way in was through a tunnel that even Jack was starting to find hard to navigate.

Most of the kids had decorated it in drawings and other odds and ends they had lying around. It looked like the school room that Jack remembered attending before the war started. There was a peaceful atmosphere to it when there weren’t a lot of kids around and he’d figured this was where Vanessa would go to be alone.

Vanessa had her knees pulled up to her chest in the corner. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and she hiccupped every now and again. Jack hurried over to her and sat down, hugging his best friend close.

“Ssh, it’s okay,” he soothed. “What’s wrong?”

“Ma doesn’t want me anymore,” she whispered. “She only wants Jesse, not me and Tommy.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Jack smiled and rubbed her arm. “She was really worried about you.”

“She’s faking,” Vanessa snapped. “You don’t live with us, Jack. You don’t hear the things she says.”

“Does your Pa know about it?” he asked.

“No,” Vanessa shook her head. “Ma’s not dumb enough to say it when Pa’s there. She knows he loves us and would do anything for us. Unlike her.”

Jack bit his lip. “We should tell someone,” he murmured. “One of the adults.”

“They don’t care,” Vanessa sniffled. “They don’t care about anyone but themselves.”

“Now I know that’s not true,” Jack smiled and hugged her. “You’re just scared.”

“I ain’t scared-a nothin’!” Vanessa shouted. “Yer the scaredy-cat, Jack! You don’t even like climbing trees!”

“That’s not true!” Jack pouted. “I just knew that tree by the northern watchpoint couldn’t have been climbed.”

“Yah, that’s why I almost got to the top,” she grinned at him.

“I totally would have followed you if my dad hadn’t come looking for me!” he pouted.

“Liar, liar, pants on fire!” she giggled. “You’re terrible, Jack!”

“Am not!” he pouted more. “You’re the one that’s too scared to talk to the adults!”

“Am not! I just know they won’t do anything,” she huffed.

“You won’t know that until you tell someone,” he grinned. “Come on! Tammy’ll know what to do.”

Vanessa didn’t look convinced, but she trotted at his heels to the tunnel. They crawled through the tunnel and hurried back to where Jack was staying in the apartments. The door was stuck, again, so it took Jack a little while to wiggle the door open. He grumbled about needing to talk to someone about the door and trotted into the kitchen.

“Tammy!” he called. “Vanessa has something to tell you.”

“Oh?” she asked as she cleaned her hands. “What’s wrong, Vanessa?”

“Ma doesn’t want me and Tommy anymore,” Vanessa said softly. “She only wants Jesse. I’ve heard her say it. She says it in Spanish really fast and quiet, but Tommy and I can understand. She…she’s gotten really mean too. Pa used to only give us a smack on the bottom when we were bad, not hard at all, but Ma…it hurts. It hurts a lot.”

Tammy knelt down and gently held Vanessa’s shoulders. “Vanessa, are you absolutely certain that’s what she’s saying?” she asked.

Vanessa nodded and rubbed at her eyes. Tammy frowned and hugged Vanessa close to her chest, rocking her slowly. Vanessa burst into tears all over again and clung to Tammy’s shirt.

“Ssh, _M_ _ein Mauselein_ ,” Tammy soothed. “It’s okay. We’ll get to the bottom of this. Ssh. You can stay here with me until then, okay? I’ll just let your Ma know that we found you so she can stop throwing a fit.”

“Okay,” she rubbed at her eyes. “What’s for supper?”

“Meatloaf,” Tammy smiled. “It’s one of Jack’s favourites.”

“I like pizza more,” Jack grinned as he walked over to hug Vanessa close.

“Everyone likes pizza more,” Tammy smirked and got to her feet. “You two go get cleaned up, alright?”

They nodded and hurried off to the washroom. Jack grinned as he helped Vanessa drag the stools over so they could reach the sink. She poked him in the side, huffing as he laughed.

“Told you they’d help,” he said happily. “You don’t have to be afraid.”

“They said they’ll help,” Vanessa shrugged. “We’ll see.”

Jack wet a facecloth and started wiping Vanessa’s face. She scrunched up her face, grumbling that he was being rough, but didn’t try to pull away. It felt good to help like this, especially since Vanessa knew what it was like to be without her dad.

“We’re gunna be best friends forever, right?” he blurted out.

Vanessa blinked at him in confusion. “Of course! Why wouldn’t we be best friends?”

“Because people leave,” he whispered. “They leave and….”

“I ain’t leavin’,” she said stubbornly. “Come heck or high water, I ain’t gunna leave.”

Jack felt himself starting to tear up and he hugged her close. She took the cloth from him and started dabbing at his eyes, giggling that he was still pretty when he cried. Jack laughed and hugged her tighter, nuzzling his face into her hair the same way that his dad did to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation: "Mein Mauselein" - "my little mouse" (term of affection in German. If this is wrong, please feel free to correct me. Thank you attempting_to_author for the correction.)
> 
> Hi Torbjorn! You're about the only person here who isn't a baby-face youth only because I have no damn idea who else would be lead engineer on a project like this.
> 
> Things are not good in Haven. Van's still young enough to not fully understand the extent of the abuse she's suffering, but she knows it hurts and she wants it to stop.


	6. Chapter 6

John watched the dropzone approach swiftly beneath them. He looked back over his shoulder at the men and women waiting for the order to push onwards into Hell. He took a deep breath before he touched his earpiece. Showtime; here went nothing. Several weeks of planning and training were about to be put to the test.

“We’re approaching the dropzone; ETA five minutes,” he said. “The omnics have hit this city hard, but their defenses are weaker than they should be. The omninium didn’t anticipate so many casualties, apparently. They’re spread thin in an effort to keep up their patrols. We’re going to use that to our advantage.”

He looked at the other dropships flying around them and inhaled. So many lives hanging by a thread. Were they ready to die? He hoped they had made their peace and were ready to give it their all. They were going to need it. There were so many innocent lives relying on them. They didn’t have the luxury of getting cold feet right before they jumped.

“I want sitreps every ten minutes,” he ordered. “I want to know who’s in charge of your unit and how many people you still have alive. If I tell you there’s been a change of plan, you listen immediately. We need to retake this city and we won’t get that by being lone cowboys. No comments from the peanut gallery, Joel.”

He heard his friend laugh behind him and a few of the more nervous soldiers laughed with him. At least they were comfortable with his SIC after all the training they’d done. They needed to be ready to follow him if John fell in battle or if he ordered them to follow the ex-gangster somewhere else.

“Boots on the ground!” he shouted as the dropships turned and lowered themselves swiftly to the ground. “Let’s do this, people! HOOAH!”

There was a bellowing echo as John leaped out of the dropship and sprinted towards the first line of leveled buildings. He ducked down behind a low wall, counting off heads as the rest of his unit caught up with him. He counted thirty and nodded; good, everyone made it. He vaulted the wall and continued onwards.

“Bastion units to the north,” Reyes shouted over the commline. “Ten units in total moving in recon mode.”

“Proceed with caution,” John ordered. “Shimada, provide coverfire when you can.”

“Understood, Captain,” Miyu replied. “Thirty, by the way.”

“Good,” John shook his head.

The other team leaders chimed in their numbers. They had only lost four people so far. Unfortunate, but better than he had anticipated. The omnics were too spread out to capitalize on how squishy their opponents were. They wouldn’t make that mistake for long.

John gave the signal and they pushed forward. An omnic spun around to fire on them, but Joel shot it in the head before it could even lift its gun. Three more omnics fell, shredded to pieces by Torbjörn’s turrets as his unit set them up behind them.

“Wilhelm,” the kid checked in. “Twenty-five.”

John grit his teeth. In the span of ten minutes, Reinhardt had lost five people. Damn it.

“Shimada. Twenty-eight.”

“Reyes. Thirty.”

“Lindholm. Twenty.”

“Wong. Twenty.”

“Morrison. Thirty.”

Two from Miyu and ten from Laura. Damn it. His riflemen were standing strong, but his scouts were getting picked off. They were moving too fast, not using cover when they should have. That was the only explanation he could think of.

“Wong, slow down,” he ordered. “Regroup if you have to. Use the buildings for cover and don’t try to take the Bastions on by yourself if you can avoid it. I need to know the lay of the city so we can get the civilians out. That’s your main priority; don’t forget that.”

They gave the confirmation and continued on. John ducked down beside a building and his unit fell in behind him. He peeked around the corner and made a signal to get Joel’s attention. He made a half sign with his hand and jerked his head towards the soldiers waiting behind him. Joel nodded and counted off fourteen others before motioning for them to follow him. They moved across the street and crept slowly forward.

John waited until they were further ahead before he followed. The sharp, rapid staccato of gunfire sounded further ahead and he picked up his pace. He heard a roar before Reinhardt in all of his armored glory rushed past him with an omnic pinned to his front. The omnic was slammed into the wall, reduced to bits and pieces as Reinhardt swung his hammer backwards with another roar.

“Holy shit,” one of his soldiers squeaked.

“Holy shit,” John agreed. “Reinhardt! Where’s your unit!”

“Nearby,” Reinhardt panted as he jogged beside Jack. “They will be fine.”

“Get back to them, soldier,” John ordered. “You’re the leader. You’re supposed to lead them, not chase after the first stray omnic that catches your attention!”

“Uh, right, sir,” Reinhardt coughed. “Sorry.”

Reinhardt hurried back towards his team as everyone called in again.

“Shimada. Twenty-seven.”

“Reyes. Thirty.”

“Wong. Twenty.”

“Lindholm. Twenty.”

“Morrison. Fifteen.”

“McCree. Fifteen.”

“Continue on,” he ordered.

They pushed forward and John could hear gunfire all around them. He ducked down behind the blown out shell of a car and winced as two of his soldiers were shot dead. He heard the whirring of one of the sniper-bots and poked his head over the remains of the car. He fired at the skinny little thing crouching in the window and it fell to the ground, smashing to pieces against the concrete.

They moved forward slowly, but burst into a sprint as the buildings on their right exploded. John swore as he ran, ducking into a building and hurrying the twelve members of his unit in behind him.

“What was that?” he demanded.

“B-building blew up under us,” Laura replied shakily. “Wong. T-ten.”

John could hear the tremor in her voice and he couldn’t blame her. Losing ten people that fast was terrifying. Knowing that they were buried under the rubble was even worse.

“Keep going, Wong. Try to join up with Wilhelm if you can—.”

“McGuire, seven!” a new voice shouted down the commlink.

“You survived?!” Wong shrieked.

“Barely. We’ll join up when we can,” Sergeant McGuire replied.

“See you then.”

John let out a sigh of relief as they pushed forward again. It was slow going, but they finally managed to get to the center of town where the survivors were waiting. The safe haven was heavily guarded, but the armed soldiers relaxed as John and his unit hurried forward.

“Morrison at extraction point,” he said.

“Right behind ya, boss,” Joel said as he and ten others jogged up. “Sent two off to join up with McGuire. They made it.”

John nodded and waited for the others.

“Shimada. Twenty-five. ETA, two minutes.”

“Reyes. Thirty. ETA, fifteen minutes.”

“Wilhelm. Thirty. ETA, five minutes.”

“Lindholm. Twenty. ETA, two minutes.”

“McGuire. Nine. ETA, five minutes.”

John frowned as updates continued trickling in. Miyu lost one more person before they arrived. Reinhardt lost two. All the engineers arrived in one piece. The scouts under Laura’s command were hit the hardest, but they were ready to continue.

“Reyes. Thirty. ETA, ten minutes.”

“Reyes. Thirty. ETA, five minutes.”

“I see them!” one of the scouts shouted. “But...sir...there aren’t thirty soldiers.”

John clenched a hand into a fist as he stepped out of the sheltered area. He could see Reyes and five other soldiers hurrying towards him, their backs bowed as they ran. Whispers buzzed behind him as he stood waiting for Reyes.

“Where are the others?” John demanded.

“Dead,” Reyes replied. “But we captured the objective, Captain.”

“When did they die?” John snarled. “You continually checked in with thirty men. This,” he pointed at the five trembling soldiers, “is not thirty! What the fuck happened, Reyes?!”

“It doesn’t matter; we captured the….”

“I don’t give a fuck about whether or not you captured the objective!” John roared and grabbed Reyes by the front of his uniform. He gave the younger man a furious shake, glaring into the terrified brown eyes. “I sent you out with thirty men under your command! I told you that this was not a death or glory mission. We were supposed to clear a path for the extraction of civilians. We are now down fifteen soldiers that I did not account for because you fucking lied to me! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE SEVERITY OF THIS MISTAKE, REYES?!”

“But I….”

“If it were up to me,” John snarled at him, “you would be striped of your rank and sent back to L.A for this. Get your ass down to the barracks and get some rest. I want you at the front of the convoy when we receive the signal to move out.”

John shoved Reyes towards the safe haven and the Sergeant stumbled forward. He didn’t look back as he hurried down into the haven. The surviving soldiers from his unit hurried to follow him. John waited until Reyes was out of sight before he grabbed a chunk of rubble off the ground and whipped it as hard as he could out into the city.

“AAAAAH!” he roared in frustration.

“John,” Joel murmured as he stepped forward. “I’m sorry.”

“I told him,” John’s chest heaved as he stood there, “I told him to get as many people here as possible and he runs a fucking suicide mission!”

“John,” Joel’s soft brown eyes crinkled. “I….”

“I can’t retrieve their bodies,” John sobbed and curled forward. “There’s no time! Those good men are going to rot in the streets! I can’t even tell their loved ones that they were KIA because I don’t know who we’re missing!”

“We can always come back afterwards,” Joel said. “First priority is the civilians. But I think the higher ups won’t deny us the right to come back to collect our fallen.”

John rubbed at his eyes and nodded his head. “Right. Right. Get everyone ready to move out. I want to move with sunrise,” he ordered.

“On your orders, Captain,” Joel inclined his head.

They stepped back into the safe haven and started helping the civilians gather their meager belongings.

***

“Captain?”

John didn’t turn to regard Reyes as he approached. He didn’t acknowledge the other man until he was standing almost directly behind him.

“What is it, Sergeant?” John replied after a few moments of painful silence.

“I...would like to apologize for my actions,” Reyes said. “They were...ill-advised.”

“You led your men into a bloodbath because your ambitions clouded your judgement,” John growled. “You ignored my orders because you believed that your own were much more reasonable.”

“That….”

“You lost twenty-four men, Reyes,” John growled as he turned around. “Twenty-four. I don’t even know where you left their bodies because you didn’t let me know during check in. I gave you an order and you ignored it.”

“I did not ignore it,” Reyes snapped and pushed a hand up into his hair. “I just...I wanted to take the objective and….”

“And you sacrificed your soldiers to achieve it,” John growled. “This war isn’t going to be won by taking objectives and losing most of our men. It was foolish and stupid and you’re lucky you didn’t wipe out your entire unit!”

Reyes’ jaw snapped shut and he worked it angrily back and forth. John took a deep breath and looked away. If he continued yelling at Reyes, it wouldn’t help anything. He had to remember to breathe; Reyes was a product of his training, just like every other hardcore military man.

“You made a huge mistake,” he said slowly. “I hope you learn from it. You’ll be leading the convoy in the morning. Go get some sleep.”

“And where will you be?” Reyes demanded. “Hiding in the back?”

“Right behind you,” John replied as he turned away. “You want to know what it’s like to lead? You’ll get your first taste tomorrow.”

“I’ll try not to disappoint,” Reyes sneered.

“I know you won’t,” John said. “Go.”

“Yes, Captain,” Reyes spat before he turned and stormed off.

“Bein’ a little hard on him,” Joel sighed as he shifted against the wall after Reyes left.

“Someone needs to,” John murmured. “He has to understand that I won’t accept this behaviour.”

“He’s still young,” Joel shrugged and walked over. “He’ll figure it out.”

“I hope so,” John shook his head. “I don’t want to discharge him. He’s a good fighter; I just wish he wasn’t so set in his ways.”

Joel clapped his shoulder and gave him an affectionate shake. It was more than enough for John’s ability to accept affection at the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we see Reyes' leadership style; secure the objective at all costs. John is not impressed.


	7. Chapter 7

John smiled at the video screen as Jack waved excitedly at him. He took a deep breath to keep himself from bursting into tears at the sight of his precious boy. He didn’t like that he was growing up so far away from him, but he was also so happy that he was alive and safe far away from the front lines.

“Hey, Jack,” he cooed. “You’re being good for Tammy, right?”

“Uh huh,” Jack nodded his head. “When’re you coming home? You’ve been gone for so long!”

“Not for a while, Champ,” John sighed. “The omnics are still running amuck here. Can’t go home until they’re taken care of.”

“I want you to come home,” Jack whimpered. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too, Jack,” John murmured and rubbed his face. “I want to come home, but I have to finish this. You keep Tammy safe, okay?”

Jack looked away and nodded his head. “Daddy, you will come home, right?” he asked softly.

“Yes,” John soothed. “Just not for a while. But let’s talk about something happier, okay? What are you learning in class?”

Jack smiled as he began to explain his lessons to John. It was good to hear something mundane after days of nothing but reports about omnic advances into European countries. Jack was safe and sound in the States in the backwoods of Indiana and the omnics hadn’t tried anything there in a long time. It was a comfort he appreciated. He’d lost too many soldiers and innocent lives in the last little while; he needed to know that his son and the community he had left behind were alright.

“Hey, Jack,” Joel said as he sat down beside John. “My little rugrats runnin’ around nearby?”

“Van is!” Jack grinned. “Want me to get her?”

“Please,” Joel smiled.

Jack nodded his head before he hurried off to find his friend. Joel nudged John’s shoulder and smiled.

“I still think we should get a marriage agreement written up for them,” he teased.

“Not on your life,” John laughed.

“Pa!”

“Hey, Birdie,” Joel smiled before he stiffened. “Van, why’s there a bruise on yer cheek?”

Vanessa winced and rubbed at the green and yellow mark on her face. If John didn’t know any better, he’d say that it was the topmost part of someone’s palm. Had someone struck her? Who would’ve struck Vanessa? Sure, she had more than a bit of an attitude, but she was still sweet and well-behaved. He couldn’t see her doing anything that would be deserving of a slap.

“Hit my face on the railing,” Vanessa murmured. “I’m okay. I just have to be more careful when I’m playing.”

Joel’s eyes narrowed. “Now, you know I don’t buy that for a second, Van,” he said. “I don’t want you lyin’ to me, Birdie. So, tell me right now; did someone hit you?”

Jack and Vanessa squirmed miserably in their seats before Vanessa nodded. She mumbled something about deserving it and Joel just about jumped to his feet in outrage. John wasn’t far behind him.

“Who the fuck told you that you deserved to be slapped in the face?” he demanded.

“Joel!” John grabbed his friend’s arm tightly. “Swearing at her isn’t going to help. Hell, you just about scared the piss out of me.”

“Someone hurt my baby and made her think she deserved it,” Joel snarled. “I want their head on a pike!”

John nodded his head. “I know,” he said. “But screaming at Van isn’t going to get her to open up. You’ll scare her.”

Joel glared at him before he took a deep breath. He looked back at the two kids squirming in their seats on the other side of the video screen. Joel let out a long sigh before he ran his hand through his hair.

“Vanessa, I want to know who hurt you,” he said. Vanessa shook her head. “Van.”

“Not now,” she whispered. “I’ll tell you when you get home. I’ll be okay. I know where to hide.”

“Van, you shouldn’t have to hide,” Joel said sternly.

“I’m okay,” Vanessa insisted, grinning at him. “No one can find me when I don’t wanna be found.”

“I can,” Jack grinned.

“You cheat,” Vanessa turned to glare at him.

“Nah; I just know how your mind works,” Jack grinned.

“Careful, Jack,” John warned. “Girls don’t like it when you have them figured out.”

Vanessa stuck her tongue out at him and crossed her arms over her chest to pout. Joel chuckled and let the subject slide, asking Vanessa what she had been doing since he left. She excitedly began to tell him about the science project she and the other children her age were working on, clearly in awe over the earthworms they were watching grow.

All too soon, they had to say good-bye to the kids and let the next person in to speak with their family. Reyes looked annoyed when he walked in, giving a clipped hello as John and Joel got to their feet.

“Enjoy your talk,” Joel said as he dropped his hat onto his head. “Sure that family of yours is thrilled to hear from ya.”

“I will,” Reyes said coldly.

John signalled for Joel to go ahead of him. He stayed around just long enough to hear a young boy excitedly yell “ _tío_ ” before he left. He smiled as he heard Reyes greet his nephew.

“Hey, Gabi. How’s my favourite little daredevil?”

* * *

 

“I forgot about the bruise,” Vanessa grumbled as she rubbed her hand over the bruise. “He’s going to be so mad when he gets home.”

“I think he’s going to be more worried,” Jack said as he offered the bowl of wild strawberries to her. “He was really upset that you got hurt.”

“Maybe,” Vanessa sighed before she looked up at the trees swaying in the breeze. “Do you think they’ll come home soon?”

“Dad said that they’ll be home as soon as the war’s over,” Jack said as he looked out over the forest. “I want them to come home soon. I miss Dad a lot.”

“Me too,” Vanessa rubbed at her eye. “I want my Pa back so that Ma will want me and Tommy again.”

Jack swallowed as Vanessa rubbed at her eyes. He didn’t want to say it, but he didn’t think that Katie was ever going to want Tommy and Vanessa the same way she wanted Jesse. He had been unsure at first, thinking that maybe Vanessa had just misunderstood what was happening. He knew differently now.

Katie ignored Vanessa and Tommy. They were expected to look after themselves; Tommy could since he was ten, but Vanessa was only four. He had seen Katie walking around with Jesse on her hip, smiling and laughing with the other mothers while Vanessa and Tommy were expected to stay away. It wasn’t fair and he hated it.

“He’ll come back,” Jack said as he popped a few berries into his mouth. “And you’ll get to be with him.”

Vanessa nodded before she shifted closer and rested against him. “Jack...do you love me?”

Jack blinked at her. “What?”

“Tommy loves me. Pa loves me. Jesse loves me; do you?” she looked up at him.

He smiled and nodded happily. “Yah! Like my little sister.”

She stared up at him before smiling. “Really?!”

Jack nodded. “Yup.”

Vanessa hugged him tightly and pushed her face into his chest. “You’re like my big brother!” she said excitedly. “Not like Tommy because he’s really, really smart, but you like to play with me! You don’t care that I’m a girl.”

“Who cares that you’re a girl?” Jack wrinkled his nose.

“Everyone,” she rolled her eyes. “It’s all anyone talks about. ‘Girls don’t do that’ or ‘girls don’t do this’. Girls must be really boring if they aren’t allowed to run and climb and hunt and dig and...yah.”

“Very boring,” Jack wrinkled his nose before he hugged her close. “Come on. Let’s go see if Ham will let us go collect berries around Haven. I think the cooks would like some fresh ones.”

“Okay!” she grinned as she jumped to her feet. “Let’s go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now Joel is aware that someone is causing his precious darlings harm. There will be hell to pay when he gets home.


	8. Chapter 8

“Keep your head down!” John shouted. “Reyes, suppressive fire!”

“On it!” Reyes shouted. “Wong, get your scouts moving, woman!”

Laura bolted for cover, shouting at the men behind her to keep up. This was going to Hell faster than he had expected. He knew that pushing into Egypt, of all places, was going to be horrible. After breaking the siege in Europe with sheer brute force with the help of the Crusaders from Germany, John had been sent to quell the threat in Africa. The omnics here weren’t as organized, but they packed a larger punch. The Egyptian military was taking the brunt of the force in the northern part of the continent and were losing men faster than could be replaced.

John didn’t want the same thing happening with Overwatch. He was trying to be cautious, striking the omniniums only when he was certain that they could win, but it was proving to be harder than he had expected. The omnics were not letting him get the time he needed to put together a plan to minimize casualties. They hit hard and fast and he was scrambling to keep up.

“McCree, report!” John ordered as he twisted to fire on a line of Bastions advancing on them.

“Stuck in the middle of the fuckin’ plaza with a fuckton of fuckin’ omnics ready to chew my fuckin’ ass apart!” Joel snarled down the commline. “Fuckin’ hell, where do they keep comin’ from?!”

“That’s a colourful explanation,” Miyu teased. “Hold on, cowboy. I’m heading for you now.”

“It’s about fuckin’ time! I’m almost outta bullets!” Joel shouted. “Gunna resort to moonin’ them pretty soon!”

“That’s a mental image I didn’t need, Joel,” John shook his head, happily accepting the humor where he could get it. “Shimada, where’s your unit?”

“Already working on bringing the ominium down, Captain,” she replied. “I noticed that McCree wasn’t where he was supposed to be and went to investigate. Good to know my favourite cowboy isn’t dead yet.”

“Mighty kind of ya to notice,” Joel snorted. “Now hurry up!”

John popped a new clip into his rifle and touched his earpiece. “This is Captain Morrison. I want a sitrep, Captain Rahal.”

“We’ve almost got all of the civilians rounded up,” Captain Rahal replied. “I can’t thank you enough, Captain, for coming on such short notice.”

“This is what we’re here for, Rahal,” John chuckled in spite of himself. “You worry about getting your people to safety. We’ll handle the omnics.”

“Thank you,” Captain Rahal murmured. “Thank you.”

John nodded and signaled for his men to push forward. They hauled themselves over the market stalls they had been hiding behind and charged forward. The omnics were slow to respond, twisting towards them but blinking their red optics instead of attacking. The agents quickly took advantage of that, mowing through the omnics that had tried to kill them a few minutes earlier.

“McCree?”

“Moving’ with Shimada,” Joel replied. “Didn’t even lose a fingernail.”

“Glad to hear it. I’m going to do another sweep of the area. Reyes, get the unit over to the ominium and help Shimada’s unit however you can. Wilhelm, you’re with me.”

“Understood, sir,” Reyes nodded his head sharply. “Good luck.”

John jerked his head before he and Reinhardt hurried off. Reinhardt was panting heavily, but he was steadfast in keeping all of his armor on at all times while he was in the field. John wanted to tell the kid to take it off so he didn’t roast alive in there, but he knew that would only hurt his pride.

“Circle wide,” John ordered.

Reinhardt nodded and took the wide loop around the market square. John crept forward, rifle held close to his chest as he moved. He heard no sound, not even Reinhardt’s enormous footfalls. He paused at one of the corners of the market and reached up to touch his commlink.

“AMBUSH!” Reinhardt roared.

John bolted forward, rifle ready to start firing. He heard Reinhardt yelping and the sound of metal striking metal. He paused at the very human grunts underneath the cacophony and snorted in spite of himself. He hurried forward and found what he expected, to some degree.

Reinhardt had been jumped by a group of children and was being beaten with metal rods. It wasn’t doing anything to his armor, but it probably still sent painful vibrations through his skin.

“He’s not an omnic,” John laughed as he trotted forward. “Reinhardt, pull your helmet off.”

“I can’t lift my arms!” Reinhardt whined as two children clung to his wrists. “They’re captive!”

“Please,” John laughed as he stepped up and found the release mechanism for Reinhardt’s helmet. “My friend isn’t a threat.”

The children backed off immediately as Reinhardt’s sweaty face emerged from under the helmet. A few let out nervous giggles as Reinhardt shook his blond hair out and ran his fingers through it. He smiled and waved.

“Hello,” he greeted. “I am sorry for frightening you.”

“Why’re you dressed like an omnic?” one of the older children demanded.

John knew immediately that she was a forceful personality. Judging by the way the others immediately shifted behind her as she stepped forward, she was the ringleader of the little posse. She couldn’t have been much older than Thomas was, maybe twelve or thirteen and needed a bath to get the dust and grime off of her.

“I am not; I am wearing the armor of my order,” Reinhardt puffed his chest out. “We are the finest fighters in all of Germany! I was nominated to work with Captain Morrison and Overwatch.”

The girl’s eyes widened in awe. “You’re with Overwatch?” she whispered. “They’re heroes!”

John smiled. “Not quite. Just soldiers doing our job,” he said before he knelt down to be at her eye level. “Why are you and these other kids here, sweetheart? Shouldn’t you be at the evac point awaiting transport to Italy?”

The girl looked at him and frowned. “Please don’t call me ‘sweetheart’,” she grumbled before she tugged on her black braid. “And we’re not wanted here in Cairo. We didn’t think we’d be wanted in Italy either.”

John stared at her in horror before he held his arms out. “I am so sorry that you think that way, my friend,” he said. He hugged her close as she threw herself into his arms. “You are wanted in Italy, I promise. You’ll all be looked after and cared for. You’ll see.”

“You promise?” the girl whispered in his ear.

“Cross my heart,” he said. “My name’s John.”

“Ana,” she smiled shyly. “Ana Amari.”

“A beautiful name for a beautiful young lady,” Reinhardt said with a great big smile.

“You’re really cheesy,” Ana giggled and covered her nose and mouth.

John smiled before he got to his feet and carefully herded the children out of the marketplace. He touched his earpiece and got a hold of Captain Rahal. He explained that he had about ten kids with him that needed to be evacuated.

“Ten? I was told we’d gotten everyone,” Captain Rahal said.

“Street kids. Probably orphans and runaways,” John said.

Captain Rahal let out a long sigh. “Ah, that explains it. Thank you for finding them, Captain. I’ll have my men comb the city one more time after the ominium is dealt with.”

John gave his confirmation before he contacted Reyes. “Change of plans. Reinhardt and I have to escort some civilians to the evac point. Can you handle the ominium?”

“Already partially levelled,” Reyes replied. “You go play hero.”

“If there weren’t children around, I would tell you where to shove that attitude,” John said coldly. “Morrison out.”

He kept the children close as they headed for the edge of the city. Reinhardt carried a few of the children up on his shoulders, grinning as they played with his white-blond hair. Ana stayed close to John’s side, nervously holding onto his wrist as they approached the extraction sight.

Captain Rahal greeted him warmly, shaking John’s hand feverishly as the soldiers gently picked the kids up and carried them into the camp. Ana refused to leave John’s side, sticking her nose in the air. Stubborn ‘til the end; not a bad trait to have.

“I’m going with him,” she said.

“Ana,” he shook his head. “It’s safer if you stay with the Captain.”

“No! I’m going to fight!” she said, glaring up at him. “I know how to shoot a gun!”

“I don’t take child soldiers,” John said before he knelt down. “Ana, I know that you’re scared. That’s okay. This isn’t a situation that any child should have to go through. And before you say anything, yes, I know you’re a preteen. You’re still just a kid.”

“I can fight,” she said stubbornly.

“So you’ll just leave your friends behind?” he asked. “They probably feel much safer with you around.”

“We’re going to Italy; they’ll split us up,” she said as she reached up to rub at her brown eyes.

“I will ensure that you are all sent to the same village,” Captain Rahal promised. “You have all had a difficult life; you deserve some happiness.”

Ana glared at him, but nodded her head. She threw her arms around John’s neck and kissed his cheeks. John mimicked her, smiling as she turned to follow Captain Rahal. She stopped and turned around, setting her hands on her hips.

“You’d better come see me when this is done,” she said sternly. “I want to know what happened to my heroes.”

John laughed as he stood up. “We’ll see, Ana.”

She smiled and saluted before turning and trotting off after her friends.

* * *

 

“Hold still,” Miyu sighed as she tried to wrap Joel’s ribs. “You’re worse than a newborn.”

“Newborn ain’t got busted ribs from an omnic fallin’ on them,” Joel winced. “Not so tight.”

“Have to be tight to make sure your rib doesn’t heal crooked,” Miyu rolled her eyes.

Joel huffed as she set the bandages in place with a butterfly clasp. He wrapped an arm around his chest and groaned in pain as John walked into the makeshift medical tent. He didn’t feel bad about John coming and seeing him so long after the mission was completed. Man had his own things to worry about aside from an injured SIC that wasn’t at death’s door.

“Hey boss,” he greeted with a weak wave. “Missed the party.”

“Heard you were almost squashed,” John shook his head. “When will you learn, old man?”

“When I’m dead and in the ground,” Joel snorted. “‘Sides, Miyu was there to haul me out from under the omnic.”

“You’re a real piece of work,” John shook his head. “Glad you’re still in one piece. I’m going to send you back to the States while those ribs heal. Give you a chance to see your kids.”

Joel blinked at him before he grinned widely. “Well, that’s mighty kind of ya, sugar,” he teased. “Want me to bring Jack anythin’?”

“I have a few presents I’m sending back with you,” John smiled sadly. “I missed his birthday.”

Joel smiled and nodded knowingly. He was beyond ecstatic to be getting to see his kids again. They had been without communication for too long and he wanted nothing more than to sweep his kids into a backbreaking hug, kiss their faces, and promise that he was there for them. He wanted to see how big Jesse had gotten, see if Van could still wrestle Jack to the ground, and help Thomas put an engine together even though he didn’t know the fuel pump from the fuel injector. It would be good to see them and to see Jack.

There was a commotion outside and John turned. Laura came rushing into the tent and bent double, holding up a finger as she tried to catch her breath. She straightened up a few seconds later and saluted.

“There’s an omnic that wishes to speak with you, sir!” she panted. “Reyes wanted to shoot him, but he was holding an olive branch and I thought that would be in poor taste.”

“And how did you manage to convince him not to shoot the omnic?” John frowned.

“Jasper put him in a headlock,” she grinned.

Joel let out a snicker. Sergeant McGuire did have just as much pull as Reyes, in all technicalities. He thought it was hilarious that he had felt the need to put Reyes in a headlock in order to get him to listen. He’d reprimand him in private for attacking another soldier, but he fully supported the move. Reyes was just too uppity for his own britches.

“Well, I’d better go have a look,” John sighed.

“Hang on,” Joel groaned as he got to his feet and slapped his hat over his head. “You ain’t goin’ anywhere without yer SIC.”

John gave him a flat look, but didn’t bother arguing with him. He knew that Joel would just follow him anyways. They headed across the camp to the tent closest to the gates, nodding to the soldiers that were standing guard outside.

Inside the tiny tent was a slim omnic holding an olive branch against its chest as if it was the only thing keeping it alive. Considering Reyes and three other soldiers had their guns trained on it, it probably was. Poor thing. What a way to come seeking parlay and find hostility instead.

“Captain,” McGuire inclined his head.

“Captain Morrison,” the omnic said in a soft voice. “I...I wish to speak with you. Please, I am not a threat. I was not created with weapons. I was meant to help in the medical ward, not fight.”

“Stand down,” John ordered. “I’ll take their word for now.”

The soldiers lowered their guns, but Joel could tell that Reyes wanted to crack the omnic across the head with his rifle. Joel shifted forward and stood between the omnic and the trigger-happy soldier, giving Reyes a pointed look. Kid needed to stand the hell down; Joel was not in good enough condition to handle his particular level of bullheadedness right now.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” John asked.

“I wish to join your taskforce,” the omnic said. “I believe that I will be of great benefit to your cause.”

“You…,” John blinked at the omnic before he cocked his head to the side. “Seriously?”

“Yes,” the omnic let out a soft laugh. “I understand your disbelief. You have only encountered omnics that have wanted to kill you. Up until you destroyed the ominium, I might have. But now that my mind is free...I am scared.”

“Scared?” Joel lifted an eyebrow.

He knew the omnics were smart, but this was unbelievable. It was capable of experiencing emotions? That suddenly made their strikes very, very questionable. How many of the omnics that they had dismantled had been capable of processing emotions and thoughts? How many dreams had been snuffed out?

Well, he suddenly felt like a massive fucking jackass. More so than usual, anyways.

“Yes,” the omnic nodded. “I...I do not wish to be dismantled. If I were to return to my brethren, I would be offlined and my parts used to repair the battle-made omnics. I...I do not wish to die.”

John opened and closed his mouth several times before he set his hands on his hips. “And you say that you were supposed to help in medical wards?” he asked.

“You can’t be serious, Captain,” Reyes shouted.

“Shut it, kid,” Joel growled. “Not yer call ta make. I ain’t in the mood to be nice either, so shut it or I’ll shut it fer ya.”

Reyes glared at him, but he wasn’t stupid enough to start a fight. Even if Joel was standing bare-chested in the middle of a ring of armed men, Reyes knew that Joel would beat him senseless if he had to. It wouldn’t have been the first time he had to get physical with the kid and it wasn’t going to be the last. Some people just never learned.

“Yes,” the omnic nodded its head. “I helped the head physician at the Coptic Hospital here in Cairo. I can help keep your soldiers alive after they have returned from their missions. Please. It is all I ask. You can keep me in whatever cage you desire. Just please, please do not send me back!”

Joel looked at John and knew his answer. John was a softie under that frown of his; he wouldn’t turn away anyone that was seeking sanctuary.

“You can start by looking at my SIC,” John said. “He cracked his ribs during the mission. Might be some other problems we don’t know about. I would like a real medic to have a look and not just field medics.”

The omnic relaxed and got to their feet. “Of course, Captain! Thank you,” it bowed its head.

“You have a name?” Joel asked.

“MZ-201,” it replied.

“Not much of a name,” Joel smirked. “Don’t you worry, friend. We’ll get you kitted out with a proper one.”

“Thank you,” the omnic murmured. “I cannot thank you enough.”

John nodded his head and Joel led the omnic back towards the medical tent. This was going to be interesting. An omnic working as a medic in the Overwatch Strike Force. High command was going to shit themselves when they found out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally messed up the age difference between Ana and Reinhardt. Canonically, it's only a year; here it's a little less than four. Uh, creative license? XD anyways, yah, bit of a time jump from last chapter. Only a couple of months, but don't worry; all that happened will be told later. Again, creative license. And I have a few years and a lot of events to get through; sue me.  
> And no, MZ-201 is not an OC. The name's made up, but I'm sure you can figure out who it's supposed to be.


	9. Chapter 9

Joel watched his kids squirm behind Muhammad as he stepped out of the Jeep. He gave his bags a toss a short distance away to a waiting scout and knelt down. Vanessa broke free of the caretakers first, streaking across the ground like a falcon, and throwing herself into his arms.

“Pa!” she sobbed as she hugged him tightly. “You’re back! You’re back! I missed you so much!”

“Ssh,” Joel soothed as he hugged her close and kissed the top of her head. “Oh, Birdie, I missed you too.”

She whimpered and sobbed into his chest, burrowing in against the skin showing above his shirt. He ran his hand soothingly over her back as he stood up, cooing and kissing her cheeks as he headed for his sons. Tommy was holding Jesse’s hand, his chin tipped up to put on a brave face. Only eleven and trying so hard to be older. Fucking war.

“Hey, Tommy,” Joel smiled as he hugged his son close. “I’m home. You don’t gotta be the man of the family anymore.”

Tommy’s face crumbled and he hid his face in Joel’s stomach, hiccupping and sobbing. Jesse’s face screwed up before he started bawling too, but Joel knew instinctively that Jesse was crying because his siblings were and not because he was overwhelmed. That was good at least; Jesse was still too young to really understand what was going on.

“Ssh,” Joel soothed as he knelt down and hugged his three kids close. “It’s okay, Pa’s here.”

His kids whimpered against him as the rest of the town starts returning to their regular duties, content in knowing that one of their own had finally returned. He stood up slowly, lifting Jesse up into his arms and settling him on his hip. Tommy claimed his free hand and Vanessa held on tightly to his belt, tugging it nervously.

“We can’t go home,” she blurted out. “Ham won’t let us.”

“Why not?” he asked as he glared at Muhammed.

“There’s...been a development,” Muhammed sighed. “We have reason to believe that Katie has been physically and mentally abusive to Tommy and Vanessa.”

Joel’s blood ran cold in his veins before he pulled his kids closer to him. Vanessa whimpered against his hip, hugging his waist tightly as Tommy tightened his grip on Joel’s hand. He looked down at his two terrified kids and narrowed his eyes.

“Is this true?” he asked.

Vanessa nodded and rubbed at her left eye. “Ma hit me because I was being bad, but she hit really hard.”

“Jesse’s the only one she doesn’t hurt,” Tommy agreed. “Because a baby can’t be bad.”

Joel held his kids close and let out a long growl. “Y’ain’t bad kids,” he said. “Yer mouthy and opinionated, but that’s because ya learned from yer old man. Come on; show yer Pa where y’all’ve been stayin’. I want ya to get settled and enjoy my time home.”

“With Tammy,” Tommy said with a shy smile. “Jack has a cold, so he wasn’t allowed to come see you.”

“A cold or a flu?” Joel frowned.

“He’s not throwing up, so Tammy says it’s a cold,” Vanessa chirped as she trotted ahead of him. “How long’re you here for, Pa?”

“Couple of weeks until my ribs aren’t so tender,” he smiled. “We’ll have lots of fun, kiddos, don’t you worry.”

“Okay,” she grinned widely. “Wait’ll you see what Tommy built from an old tractor motor! It’s so cool!”

***

“This is so cool!” Vanessa squealed as she held the carefully carved handle in her hand. “And you’ll get me a blade for it when I’m older?”

“Yup,” Joel smiled as he bounced Jesse on his knee. “Now, you make sure to say thank-you to Miss Miyu when you meet her. She took a long while to carve those hummingbirds for you.”

“I will,” she promised as she held the handle like it was made of glass. “What’d you get, Tommy?”

Tommy grinned and held up the accelerating sphere that Torbjörn had put together for him. “Dr. Lindholm says it’ll help me with that engine I’m workin’ on. He’s so cool, Pa!”

“Fer a man that’s barely four feet tall, he has a lot of fire in ‘im,” Joel laughed. “Probably one of the smartest men I know.”

“I can’t wait to meet him!” Tommy grinned before he looked at Jesse. “Uh, should he be chewin’ on that, Pa?”

“Hmm?” Joel asked as he looked down at Jesse.

Jesse had the ear of his new coyote plushie in his mouth and was sucking on it. Jesse looked up at him in confusion and continued sucking on the ear, completely unfazed by Tommy’s concern. Joel chuckled and nuzzled his son’s hair.

“Nah, he’s fine,” Joel said. “It’s all safe material. Perfect for little teething babies.”

Jesse smiled and hugged the incredibly soft toy to his chest. He was incredibly relieved that his kids enjoyed their presents; he’d been worried that they’d changed too much while he was gone. Joel glanced over at Jack and smiled. He was staring at the toy eye-piece in his hand, turning it slowly one way and then the other. John had taken great care to find one similar to the one he wore so that Jack didn’t feel quite so alone.

“What’cha think, Jackie?” Joel asked.

“Dad said it’s like his,” Jack whispered. “Is that true?”

“Well, his is bigger and is a lot more high-tech, but it’s pretty close,” Joel chuckled. “Come’re and let me help you put it on.”

Jack hurried over and offered Joel the toy. He got it hooked onto Jack’s ear and flipped the blue piece of clear plastic over his eye. Jack grinned as he puffed his chest out and giggled.

“Do I look like Daddy?” he asked.

“Very close,” Joel chuckled as he ruffled Jack’s hair. “Yer Pa just has more gray hair.”

Jack giggled and flopped down at Joel’s feet. “Dad’s going to come back and visit too, right?” he asked.

“He wants to; you know how yer Pa is,” Joel sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Gotta make sure everyone else gets a chance to see their loved ones before he let’s himself be happy.”

“I want him to come home,” Jack whispered. “I miss him so much.”

“He misses you too, Jack,” Joel soothed. “Don’t you worry; yer Pa’s workin’ hard to get back to ya. Not a day goes by that he doesn’t think of his little treasure growin’ up without him.”

Jack smiled and rubbed at his eyes. He blinked before jumping to his feet.

“Oh!” he said and grinned. “I want you to bring something back to him, Uncle Joel!”

Before Joel had a chance to remind him that he was going to be here for another few weeks, Jack hurried off towards his room. Tammy chuckled as she brought a tray of fresh vegetables out for them to munch on. Joel thanked her and chomped on a piece of celery while he waited for Jack to return.

“Here!” Jack grinned as he hurried over. He held up a carefully wrapped present and giggled. “So that I don’t forget it later. It’s for my dad.”

Joel took the gift and nodded his head. “I’ll make sure yer Pa gets this, Jackie, don’t you worry about it,” he promised.

Jack grinned wider and hugged Joel’s neck tightly. Joel turned and nuzzled Jack’s cheek, loving the squeal he got from the boy because of his prickly beard.

* * *

 

“ _Tío_!”

Gabriel threw himself into his uncle’s arms as he walked through the door. Felipe caught him around the shoulders and hugged him close, kissing over his curly hair.

“Well, if it isn’t my favourite little ankle-biter,” he teased. “You grew, you little shit.”

“Yup,” Gabriel grinned.

It had only been a few inches, but that was impressive for him. He’d been so short through elementary school and Felipe was always quick to point it out. He loved his uncle to pieces, he really did, but the older he got, the more he realized that Felipe Reyes was mean. Not fist-fighting mean, but he used his words like a weapon, trying to disarm a person with a smile as he said something intended to cut them down.

It was why Mama didn’t like him. It was why Papa’s younger sister didn’t talk to him after marrying a white boy and Felipe insisting on insulting the man every chance he got. It was why Gabriel was nervous about letting his uncle know that he was gay. There was no telling how he would react.

“Hey, Emilo,” Felipe grinned at his brother. “How’s L.A best ballerina?”

“She is fine,” Emilo smirked as he reached out to pull his little brother into a headlock. “The best ballerino is fine too.”

Felipe whined as he was dragged into the living room and thrown playfully onto the couch. He glared at Emilo as he flopped down beside him, but he knew better than to try to wrestle with his bear of a brother. He didn’t stand a chance against Emilo’s strength.

“And how is our favourite queen?” Felipe smiled at Mama.

“Fine,” Mama replied.

“Good, because I need to bitch and I don’t need you ragging on me,” Felipe snorted.

Mama’s eyes darkened, but she didn’t say anything as she went to get some lemonade. She wasn’t out of the room a whole minute before Felipe started growling and insulting his commanding officer.

“Fucker sends his SIC home first over a few cracked ribs,” Felipe growled. “He would have been fine.”

“Better safe than sorry,” Emilo shrugged. “And didn’t you say that he had three kids? Pretty sure that trumps you.”

Felipe glared at him as Mama set the glasses out with the pitcher of lemonade. He didn’t like that notion at all. Felipe, from what Gabe had come to understand, liked to think he was more important than everyone else.

“And if he was injured, it was probably better for him to heal at home than in a hospital room,” Mama agreed.

“Says the mortician,” Felipe snapped.

“Says the medical examiner for the LAPD,” Emilo corrected coldly. “Don’t get pissy with Reina just because she’s right.”

Felipe glared at his brother, but didn’t dare say anything. He had nicked too close to an open wound and he knew that Emilo would retaliate if he pushed too far. He picked up his glass and sipped the lemonade, glaring at the coffee table.

“Those two are probably fucking anyways,” he said after a moment.

“Really?” Reina glared at him. “What gives you that idea?”

“He’s always deferring to McCree,” Felipe snorted. “Never trusts anyone else’s word….”

“So putting faith in his SIC,” Reina shook her head. “That doesn’t mean their lovers.”

“And there isn’t a problem if they are,” Emilo agreed. “Who cares who they love so long as they do their job?”

“What new liberal garbage has been blown up your ass?” Felipe demanded.

“We aren’t discussing politics,” Reina said firmly. “If you want to insult your commanding officer, that’s something you should do on your own time. Don’t bring that negativity into my house.”

“Our house,” Emilo teased gently.

“Don’t you start with me, Mr. Reyes,” Reina shot him a dazzling smile.

Gabriel did his best not to squirm in delight. He wanted something as sweetly happy as what his parents had. Sure, they had arguments and they sometimes they got so heated that Gabriel was afraid something bad was going to happen. But then Papa would say something very softly and Mama would start snorting and laughing and call him a nasty name. Then they would both start laughing and start the argument over like adults.

Gabriel would never forget the lesson his Papa taught him the one time he had stormed out of the house. Gabriel couldn’t remember what they had been fighting over, but Emilo had stormed out of the house and didn’t return for an hour. When he came back, he apologized to Reina, even going so far as to get down on his knees and beg her to forgive him. When Reina assured him that she had forgiven him, he had walked over to Gabriel and knelt down.

“Don’t ever do what I did,” he said softly. “Storming off and slamming the door is no way to handle an argument. That is what a weak person does and I am ashamed that I let my son see me do that. Never do that, Gabriel. If you must leave, got to another room, but do not leave the house. That slamming door means that you are unwilling to work with your partner. Never make them feel the way I just made your Mama feel.”

It was a lesson he planned to remember forever.

“You want to see who I have to deal with?” Felipe demanded as he pulled out his phone. “One second. The fucker actually posed for me.”

He held his phone out and Reina immediately blushed up. She covered her mouth and nose and giggled at the picture of the man saluting playfully as he leaned on a railing. He was beautiful and Gabriel had to fight to keep his own blush from showing. He forced himself to look at more than the Captain’s good looks.

“He looks sad,” he said after a moment.

“What?” Felipe laughed. “What sort of faggy-ass shit is that, Gabi?”

Gabriel glared at him. “Look at his eyes,” he said as he pointed to the picture. “They aren’t fully open and he looks like he hasn’t slept long enough. His smile isn’t reaching his eyes and looks more like a reflex than an actual smile.”

“Since when are you a head-shrink, Gabi?” Felipe laughed harder. “Are you listening to this, Emilo? He’s going to be a liberal arts major at this rate!”

Gabriel fought back tears as his uncle continued to laugh at his observation. Emilo and Reina were glaring at Felipe, but Gabriel was a big boy. He could take care of himself against his uncle.

“Just because you’re too blind to notice someone else’s pain, doesn’t mean I’m wrong for noticing them,” he said as he got to his feet. “Whatever your insecurities are, _Tío_ , you don’t have to be mean to me.”

He turned without a word and left the sitting room. Reina followed him a few minutes later, smiling as she kissed his cheek.

“Good job,” she whispered as she set his lemonade down in front of him. “Your uncle needed to be reminded that you aren’t five anymore. I’m so proud of you, _m’ijo_.”

Gabriel smiled at her and when his father walked by about twenty minutes later and winked at him, he felt ten feet tall. Standing up to his uncle was definitely worth it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Gabriel finally makes his appearance! Just in time to tell his uncle off for being a jackass. Yay~
> 
> And it's Jack's first tactical visor. Sort of XD


	10. Chapter 10

“Katie! Git yer ass in here! We’re talkin’!” Joel snarled as he stormed into the bunk.

He couldn’t remember being this furious in years. Not since his days in Deadlock had he wanted to hurt something so bad. He couldn’t believe that Katie, the mother of his children, had sunk so low as to abuse their babies. His Tommy and Van shouldn’t have been afraid of their mother.

Katie stepped into the main living area and glared at him. “The fuck do you want, deadbeat?” she snapped.

“You hit our kids!” he said as he walked over to her. “You hit our babies!”

Katie rolled her eyes and groaned. “You’ve been talkin’ to Muhammad, haven’t you?” she said. “He’s blowin’ it all out of proportion. I smacked Vanessa’s mouth for back-talkin’.”

“She’s five! What’d she say, Katie? ‘No, Ma, I don’t wanna eat my green vegetables’?” he demanded.

“You weren’t there, you don’t get to judge,” she growled.

“Don’t you try to bullshit me, Katie,” he snapped. “Van had a bruise on her face that looked like a palm print! You slapped her across the fuckin’ face!”

“She bounced off of the rai-.”

“Don’t lie to me, Cruz!” Joel roared. “She told me that she was slapped. I know what a fuckin’ palm bruise looks like. She said she deserved it. You slapped my baby!”

That pissed him off more than anything. He made sure his kids understood the difference between a corrective tap to their backside and a purposeful attempt to cause pain. He wanted them to understand the difference so they never wound up in abusive relationships thinking that it was normal. Because it wasn’t and the fact that Katie had struck Vanessa and told her that she deserved it only made his blood boil.

He was scared to find out what she’d done to Tommy.

“You hit them too; don’t you act high and mighty with me!” Katie shouted.

“I tap their mouth when they say something bad and swat their bottom when they’re bein’ little shits,” he snapped. “There’s a massive fuckin’ difference, Cruz. They know it too. They know when they’re gettin’ a pat on the ass for bein’ bad and when their Ma hauls off and slaps ‘em fer no reason.”

Katie opened her mouth to snarl at him, but he grabbed her jaw and squeezed. Fear crawled into her dark eyes and he smiled. Finally, a good reaction out of the bitch. It was about time she remembered who Joel McCree was. She’d gotten too big for her britches and now she had to be taken back down to size.

“If you got a brain in that skull-a yers, you’ll get outta Haven first chance ya get,” he growled. “I don’t want you near my babies.”

“Your babies? You don’t know that they’re yours! I coulda fucked three different men and you wouldn’t know!” she snarled. “I’m the one that popped them out. We know they’re mine.”

Joel threw his head back and laughed. Did she honestly think that was going to work on him? He knew those babies were his. And even if she had fucked three other men, he was the one raising them, loving them, and caring for them. They were _his_ regardless of blood.

“Oh, Cruz, yer really tryin’ ta pull one over on me,” he sneered. “They’re mine. There’s no denyin’ it. Those three are my babies and you can’t lie about that.”

“You don’t…!”

He slammed her against the wall and started tightening his grip on her throat. She clawed at his arm, coughing and gasping for air. He loomed over her, letting his face fall into the terrifying mask that used to make people shit themselves. He wasn’t Joel McCree; he was The Coyote, one of the most feared outlaws to grace New Mexico in generations. He’d let the persona slip away because it wasn’t necessary while he was trying to remake his life. Now, however, it was needed to remind his stupid wife who she was insulting and trying to undermine. It worked; her eyes widened and she let out a soft gag.

“You’ll leave Haven and you won’t bother me or my babies ever again, that understood?” he said. “I ever see you again, I’ll put a bullet between those eyes. I ain’t gunna spare you after you hurt my babies.”

Katie jerked her head down sharply and he released her. She dropped to the ground and spluttered for air, one hand going to her throat. He turned without a word, ignoring the gasping she did as she struggled to her hands and knees.

“Bastard,” she snarled.

“The best around,” he smirked as he opened the door to the bunk. “Move yer ass.”

***

“You comfortable, Jesse?” Joel asked as he shifted the carrier on his back.

“Ya!” Jesse giggled and leaned on his shoulders.

“Good,” Joel smiled as he knelt down to tightened Vanessa’s hunting vest. “Tommy, you okay?”

“Yup,” Tommy smiled as he adjusted his hunting hat. “Ready to go!”

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Vanessa squealed happily as she tugged on Joel’s hand. “Come on, Pa!”

“Alright, alright,” he laughed as he straightened and picked up his rifle. “Come on, you lot. Keep up.”

He headed for the eastern entrance with Vanessa and Tommy trotting at his heels. People waved as they passed, laughing as his kids waved excitedly. They were so happy to get to go hunting with him and everyone thought it was the cutest thing. Joel had to agree.

The forest was quiet as they walked through it. The early spring had revealed the layer of brown leaves on the forest floor, but green was slowly starting to show through. His kids stayed close to him, but he could see that Vanessa was climbing more readily over the fallen debris than Tommy was. His adventurous little girl was ready to do anything she wanted; he was so proud.

“Are we going to shoot something, Pa?” she asked as she scrambled over a log and flopped down into the leaf litter. “Oof!”

“We might,” he said. “Depends on if anythin’s runnin’ around.”

“Are we gunna shoot a baby deer?” Tommy asked.

“Nah, not enough meat on them to feed anyone but us,” Joel shook his head. “‘Sides, be a bit cruel to kill a newborn.”

“Okay,” Tommy smiled before he stopped dead in his tracks. “Pa…look.”

Joel turned his head and smiled. A coyote was watching them from around a bush, its yellow eyes glowing a little in the gloom. Joel motioned for his kids to stand behind him before he knelt down slowly.

“Here, baby,” he cooed to the coyote. “Come see me. Are you a cousin to my Messy? I miss you darlin’s. Only got bad mannered wolves over in Europe.”

The coyote’s ears perked forward and it tilted its head. Its jaws parted and he watched its nose twitch as it scented him. He smiled and the coyote’s tail started wagging. It trotted forward slowly, whimpering happily as it licked at his hand, recognizing him as family even if it had never met him before.

“There’s a good girl,” Joel cooed as he ran his hands through the brown fur. “Yah, you’re a healthy little girl, ain’t cha? Good girl. Good girl.”

He waited until the coyote had relaxed against his knees before he let his kids approach. Vanessa ran her fingers through the shaggy fur around the sweet girl’s neck, smiling as the coyote whined happily. Tommy scratched between her shoulders, smiling as her tail wagged. Joel helped Jesse out of his carrier and set him on the ground, showing him how to nicely pet the sweet girl’s head.

“Now, you don’t ever do this with a wild animal,” he said sternly as the sweet girl cocked her head to the side and watched Jesse. “They ain’t pets. Most’ll run at the first sight-a ya. Some might just kill ya.”

“But you have a special connection with coyotes, right, Pa?” Tommy smiled at him. “It’s why she’s so calm, right?”

“Right,” he said as he scratched the sweet girl’s cheek. “But she’s still wild. As soon as I tell her to leave, she’ll go back to livin’ her life ‘til I call her again.”

“So we need to give her a name!” Vanessa grinned excitedly.

“No,” Joel chuckled as he tipped the sweet girl’s head back. “She’s got her own name already. Hmm, what did yer momma call ya, sweetie?”

Joel looked into those bright yellow eyes and let his mind wander. He saw the forest through a coyote’s eyes, smelt fresh rain and the musk of a weasel, and heard the soft pads of her feet against the leaf litter. He smiled as he blinked and scratched under the sweet girl’s cheeks.

“Her name’s Weasel,” he said. “Because she always rolled in their pee and came back to the den reeking of the little pests.”

Vanessa giggled happily as Weasel wagged her tail. Joel motioned for his kids to back up. He held Weasel’s head between his hands and gently rested his forehead against hers. She wagged her tail faster before she spun and took off into the underbrush, the soft rustle of disturbed branches the only sign of her passing. Joel hoisted Jesse back up into his carrier and smiled at his awestruck kids.

“Now, never tell me that I don’t do anythin’ special fer ya,” he teased.

“That’s so cool! I wish I could do that,” Vanessa sighed. “Could yer Pa do that?”

“Nah, Pa couldn’t,” Joel shook his head. “Somethin’ special I got from my Ma and her family. Supposed to be a pretty rare gift though, so don’t feel too bad. ‘Sides, I think you two got some special skills-a yer own. Ya don’t have to be like yer Pa to be special.”

“Okay,” Tommy smiled before he took his hand. “Thank you.”

“Ya!” Vanessa agreed as she hugged his waist. “Love you, Pa!”

“Love you too, Birdie,” Joel smiled. “Come on; let’s go see if we can’t flush a grouse up.”

* * *

 

Felipe liked to consider himself a good man, but even he had his limits. Being told off by his fourteen-year-old nephew was the greatest insult his brother could have ever given him. Not only had Emilo not stepped in to set his son straight, the bastard had shared a smirk with Reina. They had approved of it; they had approved of Gabriel talking back to him and being rude.

He would not stand for it. He was sick of being insulted by everyone around him. He would put Gabriel in his place and make sure the kid never forgot that respecting his elders was paramount. Especially his familial elders.

He waited until everyone had gone to bed and were fast asleep before he moved. He walked down the hallway from the spare bedroom to Gabriel’s and slowly opened the door. Gabriel had always been a deep sleeper; a herd of elephants could have stampeded through his room and he wouldn’t have woken up. Good.

He walked into the room and stood over Gabriel’s bed, glaring down at his nephew’s sleeping form. He was so sweet and innocent looking while he was asleep. Did his parents know that they were raising a faggot? They must have; Reina would encourage that stupidity and Emilo wouldn’t dare say anything against her. He’d set the boy straight; it was what a good uncle did when his nephew’s parents were incompetient.

He leaned forward and grabbed Gabriel by the front of his shirt. He wrenched the boy up, covering his mouth as he went to scream. Terrified brown eyes stared at him as Gabriel struggled. Felipe was having none of that.

“You need to learn your place, Gabi,” he growled. “You aren’t an adult. You have no right to speak to me like you did. You shut up, you sit there, and you don’t talk unless spoken to. Got it? I don’t care what your fucking parents have told you; they’re wrong. They are always wrong. Take it from the person that’s out fighting every day of his fucking life. I know what those two dumbasses never will. So you just keep your mouth shut and never, ever speak to me like that again.”

Gabriel whimpered and nodded his head in understanding. Felipe snorted his approval and shoved the kid back onto his bed. He ran his hand through his hair and let out a soft laugh.

“Get used to that treatment, Gabi,” he sneered. “You keep chasing after boys the way I know you are and that’s the treatment you can expect. No one likes a faggot, Gabi. Remember that.”

He saw tears building in Gabriel’s eyes and he reached out to cuff him. Gabriel whimpered, so he cuffed him again.

“Boys don’t cry,” he growled. “Girls cry because they’re babies with no life experience. That is why people cry. Stupid shit that won’t change just because they cry. Tears are worthless.”

Gabriel nodded to show that he understood and Felipe left the room. When he woke in the morning, Gabriel wouldn’t meet his eye. He smiled and ruffled his nephew’s hair, greeting him warmly as he sat down to the warm breakfast Reina was lying out for them.

Finally, someone that respected him.

* * *

 

“P-Papa?” Gabriel swallowed nervously. “Can I talk to you?”

“Of course, _m’ijo_ ,” Emilo looked up from his laptop. “What’s the matter? You look…off.”

Gabriel rubbed his arm. How did he explain what happened that night? He didn’t even know what had happened, not fully. But he needed to tell his parents. They needed to know. He couldn’t stay in the same house as his uncle anymore! What if everything escalated because Gabriel didn’t meet Felipe’s expectations?

“Something…happened,” he said as he walked forward slowly. “The night that _Tío_ arrived…he…he came into my room and…and he threatened me.”

Emilo’s eyes narrowed. “What?” he asked.

Gabriel swallowed. “He…he came in while I was sleeping and…and he grabbed me and lifted me off the bed. He covered my mouth so I couldn’t make a sound and…and he said to never talk to him like I did ever again. He hit me too when I started crying. I’m so scared, Papa.”

Emilo reached out and cupped Gabriel’s cheek. “Why didn’t you say something the next morning?” he asked gently. “Why bottle it up for a week?”

“I was scared,” Gabriel whimpered. “I was scared you wouldn’t believe me. I was scared he’d find out. I only feel safe because he isn’t here right now.”

Emilo pulled Gabriel into a hug and kissed his forehead. “Don’t worry, _m’ijo_ ,” he soothed. “I’m going to make sure he doesn’t hurt you again. Promise.”

Reina was ready to murder Felipe when she found out. She had his bags packed and waiting at the door in ten minutes, fuming as she covered Gabriel’s face in kisses and reassured him that she loved him and that anyone worth his time would love him too. Gabriel, while uneasy with her reaction, was relieved that they believed him over Felipe. Never in all of his life had he thought that his uncle would scare him so badly, but now he knew that Felipe wasn’t just a jerk; he was someone to be feared.

Felipe walked through the front door after he returned from his jog and blinked at his bags. “What?” he asked in confusion.

“You’re leaving,” Emilo growled. “You’re going back to wherever you’re stationed and I’m still deciding if you’re ever allowed in my house again.”

“What? What the fuck are you talking about?” Felipe snarled.

“You threatened my son!” Emilo snarled. “Do you think I would be okay with that?”

“Someone has to put their foot down around here!” Felipe snapped.

“Gabriel is _my_ son and I will raise him as I see fit,” Emilo shouted. “You do not get to come in here and threaten my son over something as petty as him calling you out on your bullshit.”

“How is he ever going to be a man if you coddle him?” Felipe demanded.

“We do not coddle him,” Reina growled as she wrapped her arms around Gabriel’s shoulders.

“You stay out of this, Reina,” Felipe snapped. “The men are talking.”

Gabriel winced as he felt his mother straighten up. If there was one thing he knew in this world, it was that no woman liked to be told to shut up when she was part of a conversation. Reina would not take that lying down and he was a little worried about getting caught in the crossfire.

“Take your bags and leave,” she said coldly. “I will not let you near my son, Felipe.”

“You can’t…!”

“Watch me,” Reina snarled. “Get out of my house!”

Felipe looked at Emilo, but his brother didn’t support him. He straightened his shoulders and looked down the end of his nose at his younger brother. Felipe snarled and grabbed his bags, hauling them over his shoulder as he spun around.

“Fine! Fuck all three of you!” he shouted.

He stormed out of the house and Gabriel let out a whoosh of air. He looked up at Reina and snuggled closer to her. She didn’t say a word as Emilo locked the door to the house and turned around. She pushed her fingers through Gabriel’s hair and hugged him close, kissing his temple. It was going to be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And you thought you hated Felipe before. He wasn't supposed to be like this, but the man just kept writing himself like this and I went with it. And yes, Joel has a special way with coyotes. 
> 
> Before anyone gets funny with me, remember that Zenyatta can ascend to a higher plane of existence and Winston is a talking gorilla. Don't even start with me ;p


	11. Chapter 11

“Captain?”

John looked up from his reports and frowned. “Miyu?” he asked as he got to his feet. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you supposed to be on a plane to Japan right now?”

Miyu shook her head and set her jaw. “There’s been a change of plans, Captain,” she murmured. “I…I can’t go back. Not by myself.”

John pulled the chair out from in front of his desk and motioned for her to sit down. She sat down with the elegance of a queen and John got her a glass of water. She sipped it quietly, looking at her feet as she mulled over her words. John knew what she looked like when she was thinking carefully about something.

She got a little crease in the middle of her forehead, right between her eyebrows, but they never seemed to move. Her eyes got a distant look in them, like she was searching for something in her soul. The index finger of her right hand tapped slowly against the glass of water before she nodded and set it down on a coaster on his desk.

“Hanamura is under attack, but not from the omnics,” she said. “Rivals from another yakuza clan are preying on the Shimada clan, using the omnic distraction to try to get to my cousin. He and his family are in great danger, but I cannot take them on alone. It would be suicide and no matter how much I love Daiki and his boys, I will not rush into the arms of Death so willingly.”

“So you want Overwatch to help,” John smiled.

“I have no right to ask such a thing,” she said. “But yes. We have the resources necessary to drive the idiots back and save my family from their bloodthirsty idiocy.”

“If the omnics perceive the Japanese resistance as being weak, they may up their attacks,” John mused. “If Overwatch goes in and makes it clear that we are ready to move across the world at a moment’s notice, it might turn the tide the way we need it.”

Miyu looked up at him and smiled. “You are considering it,” she said.

“I will need time to put a plan together,” John smiled. “But, yes, I am considering it. I will not allow you to lose your family, Miyu.”

“ _Arigatou_ ,” she said and bowed her head. “I cannot express what this means to me.”

“I have a kid back home, Miyu; I know what it’s like to do anything for them no matter the danger,” he said.

Miyu rose to her feet and kissed his cheek in thanks. He hugged her close, squeezing just tight enough to force her shoulders forward. She pulled away and he grabbed a datapad so they could start going over their options.

* * *

 

“We got a mission?” Joel asked as he walked into headquarters. “Glad I showed up when I did then.”

“Not officially,” John shrugged as he slung his rifle over his shoulder. “You up for a little bit of excitement?”

“Always,” Joel laughed. “Where we off to, boss?”

“Hanamura,” John said as he slapped Joel’s shoulder. “Miyu’s family needs some help and we have the firepower to…. What the hell are you doing back?”

Joel turned and lifted an eyebrow as Reyes walked into the building. He glared at John, curling a lip as he walked over. Little shit really needed to learn some manners.

“Cut my visit short. What’s the mission?” he snapped.

Something bad happened while Reyes was at home; Joel knew that without having to ask. The issue would be pulling the answer out in due time. The man was infuriatingly tight-lipped about his family, especially if it gave the impression that they were anything less than happy.

“Well, we’re going to Hanamura,” John frowned. “I don’t have time to make changes for you.”

“What?” Reyes demanded.

“You’ll stay here,” John said firmly. “Work with MZ to keep the UN off our back.”

“You want me to work with the omnic?!” Reyes snarled.

“Yes,” John replied before he brushed past him. “Joel, come on. Miyu’s waiting in the hanger.”

Joel tipped his hat to Reyes and followed John outside, chuckling as Reyes fumed behind them. The kid wasn’t going to be very happy in the slightest, but that wasn’t his problem. He had a job to do now and pleasing the brat was the last thing on his mind.

“You feel comfortable leaving our new friend with Reyes?” Joel asked as they walked across the lawn.

“No, but I wasn’t expecting him back so soon,” John sighed. “MZ is working with the medics for the most part. I’m not too worried about Reyes bothering him.”

“Good to hear,” Joel shook his head. “So, what’re we doing in Hanamura aside from helping the Shimadas?”

“Fighting an encroaching group of yakuza punks to keep the Shimada family safe,” John chuckled. “Sounds like we’re mercs for hire, but it’s all on our own.”

“What made you decide to help out?” Joel smirked.

“Daiki Shimada has two young boys at home,” John shook his head. “I can’t just….”

“Yah, and it’s totally not because Daiki Shimada is a hot piece of ass,” Joel teased.

“Shut up, Joel,” John rolled his eyes and gave his shoulder a rough shove.

“Oh come on, you can tell me the juicy bits,” Joel teased. “I know the way you stare longingly at that picture Miyu gave you.”

“You are so full of shit,” John shook his head.

Joel made a kissy face at his friend and ducked the good-natured cuff.

* * *

 

“Tommy, why did Ma leave?”

Tommy ran a hand through his sister’s hair. He didn’t like thinking about it, but he knew Van would ask him sooner or later. She was always aware of the situation no matter how innocent she acted. Pa had taught them to be observant and Van always took to the lessons better than he did.

“Pa threatened her because she hit you,” he said softly. “So she left.”

“Why’d Pa do that?” she asked. “I deserved to be slapped, didn’t I?”

“No,” Tommy shook his head. “You didn’t. Ma was lyin’ to you. She was good at lyin’.”

“Why would Ma lie to me?” Vanessa asked. “Didn’t she love us?”

Tommy looked away. “I don’t think she ever did,” he murmured softly. “Maybe when we were little like Jesse and she had better control over us. But once we started talkin’ and walkin’ on our own, she grew bored with us.”

“But why?” Vanessa demanded as she reached up and rubbed at her eyes. “Why doesn’t Ma love us, Tommy? I love her!”

“I know you do, Van. I love Ma too, but, sometimes, parents just don’t love their kids,” Tommy said softly.

“What about Pa? Pa loves us, right?” she asked as she rubbed her eyes harder.

“Yes, Pa loves us,” Tommy smiled. “You can tell. He hugs us and kisses us and doesn’t let us stay scared if we have a nightmare. Pa does everything for us. It’s how you know they love you.”

“Then why can’t Ma love us too?” she whimpered.

“Some people just can’t love,” Tommy said.

“Well, I don’t want her fakey love!” Vanessa shouted and rubbed at her eyes as tears started falling. “I don’t want her anymore either! I just want Pa!”

Tommy hugged his sister close. He hoped that she got over her betrayal. He hoped that she moved on and was happy again. He knew that he never would be. He knew he would never fully recover from the fact that his Ma had hurt him and his siblings. He could never forgive her for what she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're heading for Japan! Time for the head of the Shimada clan to make his appearance.
> 
> And Tommy is doing damage control as best as he can.


	12. Chapter 12

Miyu checked her sword one more time before she swung it across her back. Domino was coiling miserably in her chest, the closeness of her sister making her distress even more palpable to the dragon. She rested a hand on the dragon head tattooed on her chest, trying to calm her guardian. They’d be in Hanamura soon and they would defend their loved ones together.

The rest of the passengers on the shuttle were getting ready to land. There was a spot in Tokyo that they had been cleared to land at, but they would have to find a different way to get to Hanamura. She knew a few rental companies in Tokyo that they could get some cars from, but she was almost tempted to just walk there. There was no way the other soldiers could keep up though.

“Landing in five minutes,” John shouted. “Strap in. Miyu, that includes you.”

Miyu sat down beside Joel and strapped herself in. Normally, she would tease John about the amount of worry he had for their well-being, but she was too wound up. She could barely think straight and it was nice to have someone like John to take control of the situation. Joel held her hand through the descent, squeezing whenever her breathing grew harsh. She hated this part; it was never a smooth landing no matter how hard the pilots tried. They touched down with only a small bump, but Domino was snarling in her chest.

“Be ready,” she said as she stood up. “Something isn’t right.”

“How do you know that?” John asked as he picked up his rifle.

“Call it a hunch,” she smiled slightly at him.

John lifted an eyebrow before he ordered everyone off of the ship. He knew her intuition wasn’t all her own and that the dragon tattooed on her body was more than just ink. He also knew not to mention it in front of the others. There was a group of men waiting for them as they descended and Domino snarled with fury. Well, that explains the unease. The welcoming committee had arrived in full force.

“Friends-a yers?” Joel asked as he tapped a finger on his rifle.

“No,” Miyu said as she pulled her sword free. “Captain, I suggest we deal with them quickly.”

John glared at the men before he set his rifle against his shoulder and started forward. Joel followed, his rifle held parallel to his shoulder, and the others fell into step behind them. The men with the car stepped forward, pulling weapons out. None of them had any sort of identifying symbol on their clothing and she couldn’t see their tattoos. There was no way to tell what clan they were from.

“Identify yourself,” John ordered as he advanced. “This is a restricted area and I am ready to use….”

“Watch!” Joel shouted.

He fired before Miyu had a chance to realize that one of the goons had taken aim at John’s head. The goon dropped dead and John ordered everyone to spread out. Miyu followed John to the closest cover, ducking down to watch the goons fire furiously on her comrades.

Domino snarled to be released, eager to tear these men apart. She ran a hand slowly over her chest before she changed the grip on her sword. She glanced at John and nodded her head; time to move. John rose over the crates they were hiding behind and started firing, letting her rush the attackers.

 _“Dragon, guide my blade!”_ she roared.

Domino rolled down the length of her sword and set it ablaze. The goons stared in horror as she advanced on them, her blade held parallel to the ground and Domino blazing down its length. They scrambled to get away, but she leapt into their midst without thinking twice; there was no time to think and plan, she could only act. Her blade cut through meat and bone, Domino roaring her fury in Miyu’s ears. In less than five minutes, the goons were dead and her blade was dripping blood onto the ground.

She flipped the blade around and cleaned it quickly before it  could rust the steel. When she was satisfied that the blade was clean, she sheathed it. While the others were slowly approaching, she searched the goons’ pockets for the car keys.

“Three cars,” she said as she tossed the keys to the soldiers. “Saddle up.”

* * *

 

John led the convoy out of Tokyo and towards Hanamura. It was the first time he had ever seen the Dragonblade used against another human being and he was more than a little unsettled. Miyu had reduced the men to bloody piles of gore in a matter of minutes. What could the rest of the Shimadas do with their impossibly powerful guardians?

“Front gates,” Miyu said and pointed through the windshield. “Almost home.”

“Lot of people standing guard,” he noted as he watched the men on the walls glare down at them.

“Part of the rival gang,” she shook her head. “We’re driving their cars though. We should be alright for now. They have no reason to suspect anything.”

John nodded his head as he drove into the village. Joel and Laura followed in the cars behind him, each one stuffed with soldiers. It wasn’t the safest mode of transportation, but it was the only way to get everyone there. A small sacrifice to get his team where they needed to be.

They parked the cars in an underground garage and started the trek to Shimada Castle. Miyu scouted ahead, doubling back to let them know if they needed to take an alternative path. She returned at one point with two men in tow, introducing them as members of her household’s guard. John wasn’t sure what to think of them, but anything was better than the people they were fighting.

He heard the shouts before they reached the main gates. Without stopping, he sprinted forward and pressed his gun against his shoulder, firing into the crowd of men trying to get at the gate with the swirling dragons. They scattered with shouts and the rest of his soldiers charged forward, driving the yakuza goons back.

Miyu shouted something at the gates and one of the doors cracked open. A young man appeared between the doors and motioned frantically for them to approach. John whistled and they hurried forward, slipping through the crack before the enemy could regroup. John counted his soldiers before he looked pointedly at Miyu.

She spoke quickly with the guard and he immediately spun to start bowing repeatedly to John. He spoke rapidly in Japanese before switching to English to thank him. His accent was thick; he clearly wasn’t used to speaking the language even though he knew enough words to communicate. John nodded his head before Miyu gestured for John and Joel to follow her.

They strode away from the gate towards the castle looming behind them. Joel whistled loudly at the sight, grinning as he tipped his hat back.

“Now that’s a sight I never thought I’d see again,” he sighed happily. “Haven’t been here since I was young. Lots changed.”

“As things always do,” Miyu chuckled. “Please show your respect, Joel. This is my cousin’s home and he will not take kindly to insults however good natured they are.”

“I’ll be on my best behaviour,” Joel promised.

They walked up into the shrine and Miyu immediately knelt down to scoop an excited child into her arms. The child squealed and thrashed in her arms, grinning widely as they babbled away in Japanese. Miyu covered the child’s cheeks in kisses before she set them on her hip.

“Hello, cousin,” she greeted with a small bow of her head. “I brought help.”

“Miyu,” a regal man in his late twenties rose to his feet and rested the infant he was carrying against his shoulder.

John swallowed slowly as he gazed at the man. Daiki Shimada was about five foot eight inches with black hair that reached past his shoulders and was tied back with a golden ribbon. His cheekbones were sharp and set high on his face, giving him a slightly feminine appearance to balance out the strong jaw. He had a modest goatee growing on his chin, but he kept the rest immaculately shaved. His eyes were a dark, dark brown, the kind that John used to love getting lost in, but he was too old for that now.

“Shimada Daiki,” John bowed his head politely. “I hope you do not find our assistance as an insult to your ability to protect your family and your town.”

“I am aware of why you are here, Captain,” Daiki returned the bow. “I appreciate it greatly.”

Daiki called for someone to come collect the children and waited for them to be carried away before he let his calm expression drop. John wanted to reach out and pull the man into a hug; he looked so miserable and exhausted. Daiki shook his head and turned to face them.

“You came at a dire time, my friends,” he said softly. “It is not just one rival clan that plagues us, but two. They will stop at nothing to eradicate my people and my hands are tied. If I lash out, I could put the city in jeopardy. If I allow them to advance, my family is in danger. There is no safe course of action available to me and time is running out.”

John frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll need schematics and roadmaps of the entire village,” he said. “As well as an idea of the force we’re dealing with and how many men you have at your disposal.”

Daiki narrowed his eyes. “You are quick to take command,” he said.

“That is what I do,” John shrugged a shoulder. “I’m here to help, Shimada-san.”

Daiki looked at him closely before he smiled. “Please, just call me Daiki,” he said. “Forgive me my hostility, Captain. I am simply…on edge.”

“No offence taken, Daiki,” John returned the smile. “Your boys are cute.”

“Hanzo and Genji are growing like weeds,” Daiki laughed. “They’ll be climbing over the walls before I know it and sneaking off to explore their domain. I…hope to live to see that day.”

“You will,” John promised. “Trust me.”

Daiki gave him a sweet smile and John’s insides melted. “I do, Captain. Thank you.”

* * *

 

MZ did his best not to react as Reyes let out a long sigh of frustration. His fingers moved methodically over the exposed flesh of his patient’s arm, sealing it up while spraying antibiotics over the wound. His patient’s face was pale from bloodloss, but they were watching him work with a fascinated expression.

“There,” MZ nodded his head as he knotted the end of the string and cut it. “It will take some time to heal properly, but the thread will dissolve while that happens. Try not to pick at it.”

“Can I have a lollipop?” the patient joked.

“Of course, one moment,” MZ chuckled. He walked over to his medical supply station and pulled a cherry lollipop out of the container. “Here you are.”

“Ooh, cherry; awesome!” the scout grinned. “You’re the best, M.”

“It’s only in his programming,” Reyes snapped. “Any surgeon could have done that.”

“Not on their own,” the scout glared at him and stuck the lollipop in their mouth. “And not without lots of sweating. Thanks again, M.”

“Take care of yourself, my friend,” MZ inclined his head. “As much as I enjoy the work, I do not like to see my comrades harmed.”

“Will do, boss,” the scout laughed as they hopped off of the medical table and strode out of the room.

MZ shook his head before he walked over to his sink and started sanitizing his hands. Reyes was growling behind him, not at all happy that he was under the command of an omnic. MZ was starting to think that he was never happy unless he was in charge of the situation. What a sad way to live ones life.

“Could you get started on cleaning the medical equipment?” MZ asked as he scrubbed his hands clean of blood.

“I’m not your bitch,” Reyes snapped.

MZ wished he had eyes like a human so that he could roll them. That was not at all what he was implying, Reyes. Why must you be so touchy?

“I was not implying that you were,” MZ said. “I merely asked you to help me clean my equipment as it will save me time for when the next patient comes in.”

“I know what you meant, omnic,” Reyes said. “I don’t appreciate you thinking that you can lord over me just because Golden Boy told you to.”

“Golden…? Oh, Captain Morrison,” MZ shook his head. “On the contrary; he did not give me permission to lord over you. Merely to keep you occupied while he is away.”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” Reyes snarled and took a step forward.

“Is that what I was implying, Reyes?” MZ asked as he straightened his back. He was not going to be intimidated by a man like Reyes. He’d spent too long cowering under their boots in Cairo. He would not do so again with his new freedom so fresh before him. “You are looking for an excuse to be angry. It is not healthy.”

“What the fuck does an omnic know about being healthy?” Reyes sneered. “You’re just a bucket of bolts.”

“And you are a mass of cells that somehow gained sentience,” MZ replied. “Very comparable. If you do not wish to help me, go speak with Dr. Lindholm. I’m sure he’ll have something much more fitting to your tastes.”

He knew he shouldn’t have turned around and exposed his back, but he wanted to make it clear that the conversation was over. He grunted as he was grabbed and slammed against the wall. The muzzle of a gun was shoved under his jaw and his head was wrenched backwards.

“You think you’re so tough because you have Morrison in your back pocket,” Reyes snarled.

“You are misreading the situation, Reyes,” MZ said calmly. “Please, this is unnecessary.”

“Omnics can’t be trusted,” Reyes growled as he twisted the muzzle of the gun. “Who’s to say you aren’t….?”

“Why are you man-handling our medic?” Reinhardt’s voice boomed across the medical bay. “That is highly inappropriate!”

“Back off, kid,” Reyes snarled. “I’m putting this omnic in its place.”

“He is already in his place,” Reinhardt said as he walked over. He grinned widely and gestured around them. “After all, this is his medical bay! Now, you’re going to let him go, right?”

MZ felt Reyes growl and slowly started to twist. If he could just grab the man’s arm, he could render him incapacitated with the right amount of pressure to his nerves. Reinhardt, however, was much faster than he was.

He grabbed Reyes by the scruff of his neck and hauled him off of MZ as if he weighed nothing. He shoved him away, growling as he stood in front of MZ and brought himself up to his full height.

“Maybe I should use an order, _ja_?” he growled. “You will leave MZ alone.”

“You’re hardly more than a cadet; you can’t order me around,” Reyes snarled.

Reinhardt leaned forward and grinned. “What good are your words, Reyes, when I could snap your neck with one hand?” he asked. “You only go after MZ because you think he is weaker than you. I know your type. I will not allow an innocent life to be threatened like that, human or omnic.”

“Even after what the omnics did to your home?” Reyes sneered.

“MZ was not responsible for the destruction of my home,” Reinhardt snarled. “Nor were any of the innocent omnics. I will not fall into the same trap so many of my ancestors did of blaming those that did not harm me. Maybe you should do the same.”

MZ rested a hand on Reinhardt’s forearm and the young soldier turned to smile at him. Reyes turned without a word and stormed off. MZ didn’t care where he went so long as he stayed out of his medical bay.

“Thank you, Reinhardt,” MZ sighed. “I am grateful for your interference. I do not think I could have chased him off on my own. I am sorry that he tried to….”

“You do not have to apologize on his behalf, my friend,” Reinhardt chuckled. “I know that Reyes is a nasty piece of work. It doesn’t bother me.”

MZ inclined his head and sighed again. “Well, do you mind lending a hand? My equipment needs a great deal of cleaning.”

“Of course,” Reinhardt grinned widely.

“Thank you,” MZ bounced on his toes. “I appreciate it.”

He led the way over to the sink so that they could start cleaning all of his equipment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Daiki finally makes his entrance with his baby boys! Whoo! Prepare for romance and violence everyone!
> 
> And Felipe is just more and more of an asshole the further along we go.


	13. Chapter 13

“And this road can be used to get in and out of the castle without being noticed?” John asked.

“Yes,” Daiki nodded. “Miyu and I used to slip out in our younger years using that door. It was…useful.”

“I’m sure,” John smiled. “We can use that road to circle around the encroaching yakuza. If we’re fast enough, we can cut off their supply line and leave the locals unscathed.”

“Do you really think such a thing is possible?” Daiki asked. “I have been fighting them for weeks and they showed no signs of stopping.”

“Up against trained soldiers, most criminals run in fear,” John replied. “We just have to make it clear that we are not going to stand for their bullshit.”

Daiki watched him for a moment before he smiled and nodded. “If you are so confident, John, then so am I.”

John smiled at Daiki and started plotting out another line on the map. He wanted as many escape routes possible for his soldiers to use. Miyu was already showing them all of the ways in and out of the castle and the quickest ways around to confuse any potential invader. They would be ready to open the gates and lure the attacking yakuza into the grounds.

“You should get some rest, Daiki,” he said as he plotted another line. “It’s been a long week.”

“I will rest when this is over,” Daiki shook his head.

“You’re no use to me dead on your feet,” John chuckled.

Daiki tilted his head to the side before he reached out to run his fingers through John’s hair. “Will you join me?” he asked softly. “I sleep better with another in bed with me.”

John ran his hand through his hair. “Daiki….”

“I am not asking for anything, John,” Daiki chuckled. “I simply want you there. I trust you to watch my back. I will put a sword between us if you are so unsure.”

John blinked at him before shaking his head. “Fine. I need some shut eye anyways.”

John saved his work and followed Daiki out of the room. They walked silently through the castle, stopping in to check on Genji and Hanzo to make sure the toddlers were sleeping. Satisfied that the two of them weren’t causing trouble, they continued on to Daiki’s room.

Daiki changed out of his clothing without worrying about modesty. John did his best not to stare at the beautiful inkwork across Daiki’s body, the golden dragon the focal point of the entire piece. He pulled his shirt off over his head and shook his head.

“How long’d it take you to get all that ink done?” he asked.

“Years,” Daiki replied. “Before I had a chance to disband my family’s yakuza dealings, of course. And a few afterwards.”

“It’s beautiful,” John smiled. “The dragon in particular.”

“My guardian,” Daiki chuckled as he turned around, touching the dragon head curled up on his chest. “The twin to Miyu’s. They grow restless when we are apart for too long.”

“Glad I decided to bring her back,” John teased. “Wouldn’t want your sweet guardian to be restless.”

“Don’t flatter her,” Daiki wrinkled his nose before walking over to his bed and peeling the covers back. “Keep your socks on.”

John did as instructed and crawled onto the left side of the bed. He lay on his back, keeping his gaze on the ceiling as Daiki set his sword between them. Unlike him, Daiki curled up on his side facing John.

“I hope your wife told you that you are beautiful,” Daiki murmured.

“She did, at first,” John admitted. “She stopped shortly after Jack was born. Guess she just got sick of looking at me.”

“I don’t see how,” Daiki shook his head. “Perhaps it is the oddity of blue eyes and blond hair in my daily life. I could watch you all day.”

“That’s creepy,” he teased.

“I do not intend it to be,” Daiki chuckled. “I simply wish to let you know how I feel.”

He reached over the sword and gently took John’s wrist in his hand, covering his pulse with warm fingers. John turned to look at him and Daiki smiled, pressing his cheek into the pillow.

“John, I know that this may be strange for you,” he murmured. “I am only recently widowed, but…there was no romantic love in mine and Sayaka’s marriage. I…I do not feel bad for falling in love.”

“It’s only been a week since we’ve met, Daiki,” John replied. “It’s not love.”

“Am I crazy for wanting it to be that eventually?” Daiki asked softly. “I only ask for your time, John. I wish to know you and your son.”

John closed his eyes and sighed. “I have a war to fight, Daiki,” he said. “I might not come back from it. I might die.”

“I could die tomorrow when we let our enemy through the gate,” Daiki nodded his head. “I do not care. I will laugh in the face of death when she comes for me since she has been avoiding me like a spiteful lover. Until that time, I will let my heart do as it pleases. I have earned that right after the hell I have lived through.”

John rolled over slowly and reached out to cup Daiki’s cheek. He leaned forward and kissed him, soft and chaste. Daiki accepted the kiss with a soft sigh, his dark eyes closing in bliss. John pulled away and gently rubbed his nose against Daiki’s, smiling gently.

“Daiki, if we survive tomorrow, I will see where this goes,” he said. “For now, I just want you as a friend.”

“A friend,” Daiki chuckled and pressed his cheek into the pillow. “Oh, how long has it been since I had one of those?”

“Too long if you have to ask,” John laughed.

Daiki hummed in agreement before he curled into himself. John watched him until he fell asleep, smiling as he leaned his head back onto the pillow.

* * *

 

Joel sharpened the blade of his machete and glanced at Miyu. She was dressed for battle, her thin, flexible armor decorated with kanji that were likely requests for protection. It would have been rude to ask. At least, he thought it was rude to ask.

“You nervous?” he asked as he checked the sharpness of his blade against his thumb. Perfect.

“A little,” she replied. “It is wise to be nervous before battle. You are not?”

“I’ll live or I’ll die; always one or the other,” he replied. “No use overthinkin’ it.”

Miyu let out a soft chuckle as she set her hands on her hips. “I wish I had that sort of outlook on life,” she teased. “I was always blessed with an overactive mind.”

“It’s kept you alive and kept yer comrades alive in the field,” he shrugged. “Useful, in my opinion. I’m too busy going Rambo on everyone and pissin’ the brass off.”

Miyu tilted her head to the side and chuckled again. “You are our SIC, Joel. Everyone trusts your judgement,” she said.

Joel snorted and nodded. A mixed blessing, in his opinion, but one that he knew John needed. No one else could handle John’s shit the same way that Joel could. He might not be a tactical marvel like the other military boys, but Joel was fast, strong, and as clever as a coyote. He could do what others couldn’t and John knew it. There was a reason he’d picked Joel over all the other boys.

“First group of Hayashi are movin’ in,” he said over the commlink as he spotted the targets moving towards them. “Movin’ down Sakura Way.”

Miyu grumbled the proper name for the street and Joel stuck his tongue out at her. It translated to Sakura Way and he was saying it that way. He couldn’t string the words together in traditional Japanese, so she was going to have to deal with it. Better he use the translation than butcher her native tongue.

“Beta team, loop around them,” John ordered. “Watch for the Ueda. They shouldn’t be far.”

Joel waited until he saw Beta team moving with Laura at the head before he lifted his rifle. He looked through the scope and took careful aim. He got the leader of the Hayashi group in the center of his scope and followed him

“Target one in sight,” he said. “On my mark. Three. Two. One.”

Joel squeezed the trigger and the goon dropped dead to the ground. The group panicked, bolting for cover. Right into the waiting arms of one group of Shimada guards. The group was cut down with swords and knives, silenced before they could raise the alarm. As quickly and quietly as they had hoped. The Shimada were good at that.

“Ueda spotted,” Laura reported in. “Moving down…uh…Pigeon Walk.”

“You English-speakers,” Miyu rolled her eyes playfully. “Keep your distance, Laura, but try to herd them towards the gates. Hiro, open the gates and tell your men to back off. Joel and I are on stand-by.”

The confirmation came down the commline and Joel shifted his stance. Miyu rested a hand on her blade, narrowing her eyes behind her visor. The gates swung open just enough to allow a group to file in one at a time. It would be an obvious trap, but there was no other way into the grounds. Their attackers would have to risk it.

Another group of Hayashi goons slipped through the door, guns out and ready to fire. Miyu took a deep breath and stepped forward. She dropped into the middle of the group, pulling her sword out as she landed. Joel fired twice, dropping two goons as Miyu sliced her way through the other three. Her dark armor was splattered with gore, but she did not look disquieted. She’d probably done worse growing up.

“You good?” he called down to her.

“Might have pulled something in my shoulder,” she called back. “Can’t climb back up. I’ll be alright.”

“You sure?” he asked, shifting forward.

“Positive, my friend,” she laughed. “Watch my back.”

“You got it, lil lady,” he grinned and pulled his kerchief over his nose to keep the gunpowder from burning his face.

“Ueda coming your way!” Laura shouted. “They got dogs too. Fuck.”

“Fuck,” Joel groaned and reloaded his rifle.

He really, really didn’t want to kill someone’s dog. Why did these assholes always bring dogs?

* * *

 

“I do not like being here while my men are fighting,” John said quietly.

“I know, John,” Daiki sighed. “But I appreciate you staying with me. The boys….”

“I know,” John smiled at him.

Daiki thought John’s smile was the most beautiful thing he had seen in ages. He looked so sad and tired, but he still clung to hope and happiness like a lifeline against the darkness. He wished he could help John find his happiness again, but he knew that he was pushing too hard too fast. John wasn’t ready, not for what Daiki wanted.

“Oto!” Hanzo laughed and tapped at his knee. “Please! Tell the pretty man I think he’s pretty!”

Daiki chuckled as he looked at John. “Hanzo thinks that you are pretty, John,” he said.

John smiled as he typed something onto his datapad. “Let Hanzo know that I’m grateful for his compliment and that I think he’s adorable.”

Daiki relayed the message and Hanzo covered his face and giggled happily. Genji was sleeping on the floor beside them, drooling over himself and his pachimari plushie. Daiki glanced up as John shifted and righted his rifle in his hands. Daiki nodded and gently picked his boys up.

“You must be silent,” Daiki instructed as he set his boys in the protective structure in the floor. “No matter what, you must be silent.”

Hanzo nodded and laid down beside Genji, just like they had practiced. Daiki secured the flooring in place and rose, checking the clip in his handgun. He snapped it back into place and turned to stand with John. This was where the two of them would decide the outcome of the battle.

Six men burst into the room and trained their weapons on them. Laura and her group had led them up into the castle, just as John had instructed. These six would be the ones to send the ultimate message to the yakuza clans; what better way to prove that the Shimadas were still to be respected and feared than to send the bodies of the clan heirs back to their parents?

“Shimada Sojiro,” one of the Uedas grinned as he turned his gun on Daiki. “It is time for you to die.”

“You are in the wrong place,” Daiki warned. “Leave. Or you will leave as ghosts.”

The six men laughed and one took a shot at John. John took the bullet against the hard armor plating of his shoulder and returned fire. The man dropped dead to the ground, bleeding out of five different bullet wounds. John settled his rifle against his hip and lifted an eyebrow at the men.

“You done?” he growled.

“Kill the white one!” the Hayashi heir ordered. “I want his head brought back to my father for this insult.”

Daiki stepped forward and pressed a hand to his chest. “Doubloon, protect us!” he shouted.

His guardian ripped herself free of his flesh and he collapsed to the ground coughing up blood. John shouted in alarm and dropped down beside him, wrapping an arm around his chest as he tried to haul Daiki to his feet. He waved his friend aside and pointed to the golden dragon shaking the Ueda heir in her jaws like a dog with a rat.

John’s jaw opened in shock as Doubloon tossed the heir aside, letting the corpse splat against the ground. She roared her fury and lunged for the remaining men, tearing through them for daring to attack the home of her ancestors and her charge. Daiki’s eyes rolled back into his head and he knew nothing as his guardian tore his enemies apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, there so much love in the air; isn't it sweet?
> 
> And Daiki named his dragon "Doubloon". Domino and Doubloon. The Shimadas are adorable when they aren't actively trying to murder you.


	14. Chapter 14

Daiki woke to the feel of a warm nose and whiskers against his cheek. His eyes fluttered open and he smiled at the golden dragon sitting on the pillow beside his head. He reached up to stroke over her cheek, cooing softly.

“Finally awake?” Miyu asked as he slowly sat up. “Everyone was starting to get worried.”

“What happened with the Ueda and Hayashi?” he asked.

“They’re gone. Dead or fleeing for their lives,” Miyu smirked. “Doubloon scared the hell out of them.”

“Good,” he smiled. “The boys?”

“Fine; Genji cried when he wasn’t allowed to see you and Hanzo wouldn’t talk to anyone but John, but they’re okay now. They took quite the liking to the Captain,” she smirked.

“How are the other guests doing?”

“Good,” Miyu nodded her head. “Joel’s making sure everyone minds their manners while John is dealing with the United Nations. Apparently, they don’t take kindly to their Strike Team hurrying off to play with an ex-yakuza clan.”

Daiki chuckled as Doubloon snuggled against his neck in her ferret-sized form. “And how is John faring?”

“He was worried about you,” Miyu smiled. “Doubloon likes him.”

“She would,” he chuckled as he scratched under his guardian’s jaw. “Can you tell him to come see me when he has a moment?”

“Of course, cousin,” Miyu laughed and leaned in to kiss his cheek. “You hopeless romantic.”

Daiki waved a hand at her and rolled his eyes. She left with a laugh, letting him cradle Doubloon in his arms like a cat. She purred happily, digging her claws into his shirt sleeve to keep from falling. He dozed off with her in his arms, his head lolling back against the wall until a hand touched his shoulder.

“Hey,” John smiled as Daiki sat up straight. “Miyu said you wanted to see me.”

Daiki let out a soft sigh and nodded. “I wanted to make sure that you were okay…and that you did not think less of me for what I did.”

“What, summoning a dragon?” John smiled as Doubloon crawled onto his lap and snuggled in close. “I knew about Miyu’s partner, I just…I’ve never seen it solid before. Domino was always very ghost-like.”

“It takes a great deal of mental and physical concentration,” Daiki sighed. “Usually, the dragons reside in our souls as it is easiest for them to lend us their strength. Other times, they stay as small creatures, big enough to be mistaken for a cat. Only in times of great danger do they take their true form and it is always a great strain on their charge.”

“Interesting,” John smiled as he scratched under Doubloon’s jaw. “Miyu said her name was Doubloon. It’s rather adorable for a beast that could tear her way through a man’s body without a problem.”

“I was young when I named her,” Daiki chuckled. “I was fascinated with pirates and their gold. I thought it was fitting. I sort of regret it.”

“Don’t,” John smiled. “I think it suits her. Don’t you agree, Loon?”

Doubloon nodded her head and snuggled against John’s chest. Daiki smiled at the sight before he leaned forward. He set his hand gently in John’s and waited for him to respond. John smiled at him and squeezed his hand.

“I know that you must return to the front lines,” Daiki said softly. “All I ask is one more night with you. Nothing inappropriate. Just you and me in bed getting to know each other.”

“I’d like that, Daiki,” John smiled. “Or, do you prefer Sojiro?”

“No,” Daiki wrinkled his nose. “Kindly never call me that.”

“Just checking,” John chuckled as he leaned in and kissed his cheek. “I have to get back to the comms and try to calm my superiors down. I’ll meet you in your room.”

“I look forward to it,” Daiki smiled as Doubloon curled up on his shoulders. “Thank you, John. For everything.”

John inclined his head before he left the room. Daiki let out a long sigh of contentment before he rubbed his cheek against Doubloon’s. He was so glad that John didn’t hate him.

* * *

 

John finished talking with Mahala and rubbed his face. She was not happy. None of the higher ups were. He should have been worried about their retaliation, but he wasn’t. He didn’t regret what he’d done for the Shimadas and it gave his men some much needed training. He hadn’t lost a single one of them and was beyond proud of them.

It was worth leaving the front lines to protect people from something other than walking murder machines.

He inhaled deeply and got to his feet, stretching his back as he set his hands on the back of his hips. He groaned as he felt his spine pop with the movement. He’d been sitting down way too long. He shook himself out and went to relieve his bladder. He didn’t want to go to bed with a full bladder.

When he was done, he made his way to Daiki’s room. He pushed the door open and smiled at the sight of Daiki sitting on his bed with a book open on his knee. He had a pair of reading glasses perched on his nose, making him look adorable and much older than he was.

“Didn’t realize you had trouble seeing things up close,” John commented as he walked over.

“Only after I’ve summoned Doubloon,” Daiki smiled at him as he closed the book and set his reading glasses aside. “Less straining on my eyes that way. How were your conferences?”

“Well, most of high command is pissed at me,” John shook his head as he pulled his shirt off and wiggled out of his pants. “Considering I put my soldiers’ lives in danger to help a prestigious family that used to have ties to the yakuza underground, it’s understandable.”

“I am incredibly grateful,” Daiki smiled as John crawled into bed. “I would have lost many men if it were not for your assistance.”

“Happy to help,” John smiled.

Daiki moved closer and gently straddled John’s hips. John wrapped his arms around Daiki’s hips and smiled up at him. Daiki leaned forward and rested his forehead against his, sighing softly. John rubbed their noses together, pulling him closer.

“John, you make me happy,” Daiki whispered. “I do not think I have ever connected with anyone so quickly. It scares me, but I am eager for more so long as it is with you. I do not wish to push you, though. I know how dangerous your job is and I want you to know that I understand if you just want this to stay as a one-off situation.”

“If you can handle long-distance relationships,” John chuckled before he gave Daiki a chaste kiss, “I’m all for trying.”

“I can,” Daiki promised. “Can you tell me about your son?”

John smiled before he happily began telling Daiki all about his pride and joy.

* * *

 

“Dad!” Jack smiled at the screen.

“Hey, Champ,” Dad smiled back.

He looked more tired than usual, but still happy. Jack was glad. He hated seeing his Dad upset.

“Sorry I couldn’t come home to see you; a family member of one of my soldiers was experiencing trouble and I went to help,” Dad said. “I don’t think I’ll be able to see you for a while.”

“It’s okay,” Jack smiled. “I heard Uncle Joel talking to Tommy about it. I’m glad that Mr. Shimada and his sons are safe now.”

“You know I want to come home and see you, right?” Dad asked.

“I do,” Jack reassured him. “I know you really want to, but you can’t because of your job. I really miss you, Dad.”

He swallowed and rubbed at his eyes, whimpering slightly. He wanted his Dad to come home. He wanted to curl up on his lap and listen to him read. He wanted to cook with his Dad and laugh as they tried all sorts of different spices. He wanted to go hunting in the forest or fix a car engine or just be with his Dad.

“Ssh, it’s okay,” Dad soothed. “You’re such a brave boy, Jack. I’m so proud of you.”

“I know,” Jack sniffled. “I just miss you so much.”

“I miss you too, Jack. I promise you that I’ll come see you the next chance I get. Promise.”

“I believe you,” Jack smiled. “So, are you going to tell me about the person you met? Uncle Joel said that you were seeing someone.”

“That little devil,” Dad laughed. “Yes, I did meet someone. He’s very nice and he really wants to meet you.”

“He?” Jack chirped before he grinned widely. “Oh! I’m going to have a new dad? That’s so cool!”

“I’m glad you’re excited,” Dad smiled. “His boys are just as excited to meet you. Well, Hanzo is. Genji’s not old enough to understand.”

“I get to have brothers?” Jack bounced in his seat. “That’s the best thing ever!” He blinked and ducked his head. “Uh, did Uncle Joel give you my present?”

“He did,” Dad smiled as he lifted the carefully wrapped gift. “I wanted to open it in front of you. Ready?”

Jack grinned and nodded, leaning towards the screen. Dad opened the wrapping and popped the lid of the box off. A fond smile spread across his face as he pulled the leather necklace out. He slipped it over his head and played with the carefully polished stone dangling from it.

“Jack, it’s beautiful; did you make this by yourself?” he asked.

“Uh huh,” Jack grinned. “Ham helped with the drill though. You like it?”

“I love it, Jack,” Dad smiled at him. “I’ll wear it always.”

Jack grinned before he leaned in close. “I love you, Dad. Come home safe, okay?”

“I will,” Dad nodded his head. “This war is almost over. I love you so much, Jack.”

“Love you too,” Jack said as he rubbed at his eyes. “Talk to you soon?”

“Very soon,” Dad promise. “Sweet dreams, Champ.”

“Sweet dreams,” Jack agreed before he hung up.

He rubbed at his eyes before hopping off of his chair and heading for his room. He wiggled in beside Vanessa and Tommy, tucking himself in against Tommy’s side. Vanessa snored against his shoulder, drooling a little as they got comfortable. Jack settled down on the bed and closed his eyes, pretending that he wasn’t crying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the relationship begins~


	15. Chapter 15

Jack hid behind Tommy as the military man loaded their belongings into the back of his truck. His head was spinning. They were allowed to go home now. The omnics in the United States had surrendered and were being taken care of by the military. Everyone was being sent home, wherever home was.

Tammy was thanking the military man a lot, but Jack wasn’t sure if she was being honest or not. The man seemed to enjoy talking to Tammy, smiling and laughing at her corny jokes. It didn’t make Jack feel any safer, but if Tammy felt safe, he could pretend to be happy.

“Ready to go, kids?” the man asked.

“Uh huh,” Vanessa smiled at him.

“Okay, everyone into the truck. Tommy, help me get the kids into their booster-seats?” Tammy said.

“I will,” Tommy smiled. “Come on, Van.”

Vanessa whined as she let Tommy lift her into the booster-seat in the back of the truck. Jesse fussed as well, wiggling miserably as he was strapped into the backwards facing carseat. Tammy kissed his nose and laughed at his pout, but Jack could see that Jesse wasn’t really upset. Jack sat in the front between the adults, kicking his legs slowly. Tommy sat down between his siblings, smiling shyly at Tammy as she leaned back to tap Vanessa’s nose.

When they were all safely buckled in, the man started driving. They were quiet for most of the drive out of the forest. Vanessa sniffled about leaving Haven behind, but Tommy reassured her that it was going to be okay. They were going somewhere better, somewhere just as safe, but more private.

The military man didn’t say a word as they turned onto the highway. Vanessa’s mouth opened into an ‘o’ as she stared out the window. Jack blinked. That was right; Vanessa was just a baby when her family came to Haven. Tommy was the only one old enough to know what a highway looked like.

The drive was long and Jack fell asleep against Tammy’s shoulder. He woke in the middle of the night to the sound of tires on gravel. He blinked his eyes open and stared at the miles and miles of bare farmland. There wasn’t a green steam anywhere in sight. It was nothing like he remembered, with rolling, waving fields of corn, soy, and the occasional blanket of yellow canola.

“It’s dead,” he whispered.

“It’s okay, Jack,” Tammy reassured him. “It’ll be green again with a little elbow work.”

Jack nodded slowly as the vehicle turned up a familiar road. Jack leaned forward, his heart thumping in his chest. The vehicle barely came to a stop before he was scrambling over Tammy to get outside. He ran straight to the barn, wrenching the door open as hard as he could.

Cats scattered with yowls of surprise. He rushed inside, calling desperately for the tom that had loved him. A pair of green eyes stared at him from the darkness before Boots charged him and wound happily between his legs, yowling up at him.

“I missed you too,” Jack sobbed as he knelt down and hugged the tom cat. “My Bootsie.”

Boots purred up at him before gently grabbing his sleeve with his teeth. He tugged Jack forward before darting into the shadows. Jack grinned as he followed, ignoring the confused shouts coming from outside. He wiggled between a couple of leaning boards and gasped at the pile of kittens curled up beside a beautiful tortoiseshell molly. She looked at him sharply for daring to enter her nest, but relaxed as Boots licked her ears.

“Aw, Boots,” Jack smiled as he knelt down. “They’re adorable!”

“Jack?” Vanessa called. “Where’d you go? Tammy’s really worried!”

“In here,” Jack called. “My tom has kittens!”

“What?”

It took a few minutes for Vanessa to find him, but she let out a happy squeal as soon as she spotted the little mewling kittens. She dropped down beside Jack, staring at the molly with a big grin on her face, but wise enough to know not to touch them.

“There’s so many,” she whispered.

“I count six,” Jack laughed. “Hang on.”

He reached forward and carefully picked up a wiggling kitten. The molly watched him before resting her head so that the kittens could snuggle closer to her belly. Jack set the kitten in Vanessa’s hands and grinned widely as she cradled it to her chest.

“It’s so tiny,” she whispered. “Jack…Jack I want them all!”

“We’ll get to keep them,” he laughed. “They’re barn cats; they come and go as they please. Dad had a lot of them spayed and neutered before we left because they were starting to get inbred. He left Boots alone since he was young and all the others were fixed.”

“Oh,” she blinked before she side-eyed the molly. “So where’d she come from?” she asked.

“No idea,” Jack shrugged before he stood up. “You should put the kitten back now. You said Tammy was worried.”

“Oh, right,” Vanessa pouted before she set the kitten down. “Thank you, Penny.”

“Penny?” Jack asked as Vanessa stood up and dusted her knees off.

“Yah! She looks like a penny!” Vanessa grinned. “The momma cat.”

“Oh,” Jack laughed as he wiggled out from between the boards. “I thought you were talking about the kitten.”

“Nah, he’s clearly a Mint,” she giggled.

Jack laughed as they left the barn. Tammy was waiting on the porch for them, her eyes hard. She scolded him for running off on her and he apologized. She shooed them both inside and Jack led everyone up to his bedroom. They weren’t allowed to sleep on the bed until the military men had made sure there weren’t any vermin inside, so they had to sleep on air mattresses on the floor. Jack didn’t care.

He was home. He was finally home. All that was missing was his dad and Uncle Joel.

* * *

 

MZ-201 walked into Captain Morrison’s office and waited for him to acknowledge him. The Captain was busy with something, fiddling with the contraption on his desk before he let out a low curse and set the tablet down.

“Hello, M,” he greeted as he ran his hand through his hair. “What can I do for you?”

MZ-201 reset his voicebox and stepped forward carefully. “I…would like to request time off,” he whispered.

Morrison lifted his head and blinked at him. “Time off?” he asked.

MZ-201 nodded quickly. “Yes,” he said. “I wish to visit some…friends. I do not mean to leave you disadvantaged….”

He fell silent as Morrison lifted his hand. Morrison frowned and leaned forward on his desk.

“I know it’s none of my business, my friend, but where is it that you are hoping to go?” he asked.

“A small village in Italy,” he said softly. “Where the children from Cairo were sent. I…miss them.”

Morrison looked at him for a long moment before he smiled. “Oh, I see,” he said. “Well, I approve. I highly doubt that the higher ups will approve of me sending my omnic medic off on his own, so do you mind if I write it down as a mission? Checking on the health of the children sent to live in refugee villages or the likes?”

MZ-201 wished he could cry. He wished he could express to the Captain how much he appreciated this. So many people would have dismissed his request, told him that a robot did not need time off, and forced him to return to work. Not Morrison or Joel, though. They treated him like a person, like a valued member of the team even when others were insanely hostile.

“Thank you,” MZ-201 whispered as he started shaking. “Please, I…I wanted to tell you…if you do not mind….”

“M, what’s wrong?” Morrison asked as he got to his feet. “You’re shaking!”

“I am simply overwhelmed,” he whispered as Morrison walked over to him. “You and your team have been so good to me. I…I do not know what to say.”

“You’re a valuable member of the team, M,” Morrison smiled. “I would be personally offended if anyone treated you less than cordially.”

“There are so many people in this world that would treat me poorly, but not you,” MZ-201 shook his head. “I wanted you to be the first to know, you and Joel, that I have found my name.”

“Oh?” Morrison smiled. “And what is it, my friend?”

“Mondatta,” he inclined his head. “I have yet to decide on a family name. I want it to be important.”

“A lot of surnames translate into ‘son of someone’,” Morrison chuckled. “Mondatta. I’ll make sure to update your profile.”

“Thank you,” Mondatta whimpered as he started bowing his head like he’d seen Miyu do when she was overwhelmed. “Thank you so much.”

“Think nothing of it, my friend,” Morrison smiled. “Go find Joel and tell him your name. He’ll be excited. I’ll get your ‘mission’ set up so you can go visit those kids.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Mondatta smiled.

It was almost a week before Mondatta was on the dropship to Italy with Staff Sergeant McGuire and Laura Wong. The two of them were seated a short distance from him and talking amongst themselves. Mondatta didn’t mind. He was more focused on the paperwork that he had to fill out in order to justify the unexpected trip. John could only fake so much before Mondatta himself had to jump in.

“So, Mondatta,” Laura said as she turned to look at him. “Jasper and I were wondering how you know the kids from Cairo. Did you work with them at the hospital?”

“No,” Mondatta shook his head. “There was a time between the god code activating and my acceptance onto the Overwatch Strike Team where I lived and protected the street children that Captain Morrison sent to Italy. I miss them dearly.”

“That’s so sweet,” Laura smiled. “Well, I’m sure they’ll be just fine. A little checkup and then a nice vacation for a week. Then it’s back to the front lines.”

Mondatta nodded and settled back against the seat. When they landed in the quiet little hamlet, McGuire led the way off the plane. The mayor of the little town greeted them warmly, but Mondatta could see the doubt and apprehension in his face as he looked Mondatta over. Hostility against omnics was nothing new, but he had hoped that the man would at least hide it better.

He followed the mayor towards the town hall. Laura and McGuire fell back, watching quietly as they walked into the hall. Silence filled the hall before someone let out a shriek.

“MZ!” Ana shouted as she rushed forward. “You’re okay!”

“I am,” Mondatta reassured her as he hugged her close. “You look well, Ana. This pleasant climate has done wonders for your health.”

“You always are worried about us, MZ,” she laughed as she pulled away. “What about you?”

“I am wonderful,” he nodded his head. “Captain Morrison is an amazing man. I owe him so much.”

“I’m so glad,” she smiled. “I plan on joining up as soon as I can,” she puffed her chest out.

“You will have to wait to be legal age; Captain Morrison does not like fighting with child soldiers,” Mondatta chuckled. “He has a hard enough time with Reinhardt. But that is a discussion for another time. Come. Help me get our friends ready for their medical exams. I want to make sure everyone is alright.”

“You got it,” Ana grinned before she took his hand. “It’s so good to have you back. You call yourself Mondatta now, right?”

“I do,” he agreed. “But you may continue to call me MZ if you wish.”

“You’re Mondatta; it would be rude to call you otherwise,” she replied.

Mondatta dimmed his optics in a smile. He’d missed Ana’s spirit. There was a life and power about her that he had always loved. He never had a word for it, but he hoped that she knew it was there. It would be a shame if she did not.

* * *

 

Joel smiled at the screen as Vanessa tried to get the kittens to stop squirming. “She had six!” she babbled happily. “Jack says that they’ll probably stay on the farm their whole life! Can you believe it, Pa?”

“Well, feral cats are funny that way,” he said. “You’re helping that momma cat out?”

“Yup! She loves me! She hisses at everyone else but purrs when I pet her,” Vanessa grinned widely. “And Boots loves me too, but Jack says that’s normal. Even though he’s a big, mean tom, he’s super loving! I can’t wait for you to meet them all, Pa!”

“I can’t wait either,” Joel nodded. “Yer bein’ good for Tammy?”

“Uh huh,” Vanessa grinned. “School’s supposed to start up in a few weeks. Tammy has me signed up and everythin’! I get to ride a bus to Bloomin’ton with Jack and Tommy! Isn’t that cool?”

“It is,” Joel said. “I’m glad yer lookin’ forward to it, Birdie.”

Joel had forgotten how simple things amazed children. Vanessa had only seen school buses in books; she was excited over the prospect of riding in one. She’d love school too, he knew that much. She was such a smart kid. He wished he was there for her first day, but Tammy would have to do. She’d be there for the kids when they needed her.

“Pa, is it true that Uncle John has a boyfriend?” Vanessa asked.

“Now where’d you hear that?” Joel smirked.

“From Jack!”

“Well, he needs to learn not to tell you everythin’,” he winked. “That’s up to ye uncle to tell you if he has a boyfriend or not.”

“Aw, but Pa!” Vanessa whined.

“Van, do we whine?” Joel lifted an eyebrow

“Yes,” she grinned before Tommy sat down beside her with Jesse on his lap. “Oh! Jesse! Here, hold Rosie. Watch her head. Yup, just like that.”

Joel’s heart melted as Jesse held the kitten to his chest like it was the most precious thing in creation. He placed a gentle kiss to the kitten’s red tabby head and grinned at the screen.

“Pa!” he shouted and waved. “Pa! Pa!”

“Hey, Jesse,” Joel cooed. “How’s my little baby doin’?”

“Goo!” Jesse bounced on Tommy’s lap.

“He’s havin’ a hard time with his hard letter sounds,” Tommy said. “Tammy says that’s normal for someone his age. Is it?”

“It is,” Joel agreed. “Y’all had a hard time with yer hard consonant sounds. He’ll get it, don’t worry.”

Tommy smiled before he bit his lip. “I’m really nervous about school. Do you think I’ll make friends?”

Joel nodded. “Yer a sweet kid, Tommy,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll make a friend or two. Don’t be afraid, okay?”

Tommy nodded. “Is Uncle John there?” he asked.

“No; he’s in a meetin’ with the higher ups,” Joel shook his head. “Got a deployment comin’ up soon. Gunna be hard. Gotta get down to the horn-a Africa as soon as possible. Loads-a omnics makin’ a push into the countryside.”

“Be careful, Pa,” Vanessa whimpered.

“I will, mah darlin’,” Joel reassured her. “Now, you three get to bed. Tammy got that recordin’ I made ya?” They nodded. “Good. Play that if yer havin’ a hard time sleepin’, okay? I know it ain’t the same as havin’ me right there, but a lullaby’s a lullaby.”

“Okay,” Tommy nodded. “Love you, Pa.”

“Love you too, Tommy. Vanessa, Jesse, Pa loves you all so much,” he smiled and blew kisses to his kids.

They waved as the screen went dark. Joel leaned back in his seat and rubbed at his neck, fighting back tears. Miyu rested a hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek.

“Your children are very sweet,” she said softly.

“My pride and joys,” Joel agreed. “Hurts bein’ away from them.”

“Hmm,” she mused as she took a seat. “I do not feel the same way with any but my nephews.”

“No desire to have yer own?” Joel asked.

“No,” she said. “At least, none with a partner. I am…uninterested.”

“Nothin’ wrong with that,” he smiled. “Bein’ a parent ain’t for everyone. Kinda wish they didn’t try to cram it down kids’ throats. Got the feelin’ my little Van’s in the same boat. Great with animal babies, but never wanted anything to do with the other babies at Haven. ‘Cept Jesse, o-course, but that’s her brother. Gotta stick with blood.”

Miyu smiled before she got to her feet and placed a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth. “You are an amazing man, Joel McCree,” she said softly. “I’m sorry your partner was not what you needed.”

“No worries,” Joel smiled as he cupped her cheek. “Don’t need a lady at home to make me happy.”

“Could be a man,” she smirked as he pulled away.

“Told ya before, John ain’t my type,” Joel chuckled as he stood up and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his ratty jeans. “Just friends, the two of us.”

“Well, John has his sights set on Daiki anyways,” she teased. “Would be a shame to break them up.”

“It would; haven’t seen John that happy in a long time,” Joel agreed as they left the room. “Hope they can work it out.”

Miyu nodded her head. Her fingers laced loosely with his and he brought her hand up to his mouth to kiss her knuckles. He had no idea what was going on between them; he certainly didn’t feel romantically about her, but it felt right to have these intimate moments. She never pushed for more, so maybe she was content with this too. It would be easy to ask, but asking almost felt like it would break whatever was going on between them.

So they just walked down the hallway hand-in-hand, ignoring the smirks shot their way.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the babies are on the Morrison family farm! With a whole bunch of kittens to look after. Whoo!
> 
> And it's Mondatta, everyone! Did you figure it out? I thought it was kind of obvious, but hey, I've been wrong before.
> 
> And Joel and Miyu don't have a word for what they are, but they're happy at least.


	16. Chapter 16

Joel ducked down behind a retaining wall and cursed the omninium to Hell. He had no idea where all of the fucking omnics were coming from, but it was really starting to piss him off. He wanted to finish this fast; they were losing too many people. He’d lost track of where John had gone too; he turned around for one moment to deal with a sniper and when he turned around, he was gone. He wasn’t answering his comm either, so Joel suspected it was damaged.

“Anyone got a visual on Morrison?” Joel asked as he pulled a grenade and whipped it over his head towards the slicers that were running past.

“No; wasn’t he with you?” Miyu asked.

“He was, but I turned around and he vanished,” Joel sighed.

“He’s six-foot-one and has golden blond hair, McCree; how did you lose him?” Miyu demanded.

“I don’t know! Just keep an eye out for him, okay? He’s not respondin’ to comms.”

Joel shook his head as he hauled himself over the wall. The slicers were twitching on the ground, reminding him of dying kittens on the side of the road. He grimaced and hurried past them, glancing up at the buildings in hopes of spotting golden hair. He couldn’t believe that John had managed to slip past him. John never went off on his own; had he thought Joel was right behind him?

“Westernmost building is red hot!” Laura shouted over the comms. “Omnics are lighting it up like a Christmas tree!”

“Keep yer distance,” Joel warned. “Until we know where the Captain is, I want everyone on high alert. He could be injured.”

Everyone let out shouts of confirmation. Joel eyed the building that Laura said was teeming with omnics. He snapped his fingers in thought before he pulled another grenade out.

“Wong, what floor should I aim a grenade for?” he asked.

“Third floor. Second one has some human signatures,” she replied.

“Frag out!” he shouted.

He whipped the grenade as hard as he could at the third floor. It shattered one of the windows and exploded, blasting the rest of the windows on the floor out. Pieces of omnics rained out of the ruined glass. He could hear gunfire inside now and he hurried forward.

“Gunfire inside the building; going to assist,” he said. “Wong, how many…?”

“GET DOWN!” Wong shouted.

Joel dropped to his belly just as the second floor exploded. He watched a human figure somersault out of the window, their limbs too loose to have been intentional. They thudded to the ground and lay there without moving, their helmet cracked and broken. Joel lifted his head and felt his blood run cold.

Golden blond hair was poking out between the cracks in the helmet and a silver eagle was pinned to one of the lapels of the man’s jacket. John.

“Morrison down!” Joel roared as he bolted forward. “I repeated, Morrison down!”

He skidded beside his friend, shoving his hand into his shirt around his throat, searching for a pulse. His comms was exploding with screams of denial, but he ignored it as he watched John’s chest rise and fall. He’d fallen two stories to the concrete, but he was still alive.

“He’s alive,” Joel said. “There’s a pulse and he’s breathin’s pretty steady.”

“Check his neck for any breaks,” Mondatta ordered. “You’ll feel the difference immediately. Start at the base of his skull and work your way down. If he broke his neck, he’ll die the instant he tries to move.”

“Got it, doc,” Joel replied.

He slid his hands under John’s head and gently started feeling for a broken neck. He was relieved that there was none, but his hands were sticky with blood. Wonder where’d he gotten that injury.

“No breaks,” he relayed. “But he’s got a head wound that’s bleedin’ good.”

“Head wounds often bleed heavily, even when shallow,” Mondatta soothed him. “He needs to be brought to the field tent immediately. Just because his neck isn’t broken doesn’t mean that he isn’t injured. I’m bringing his vitals up now.” There was a moment of silence. “His vitals are stable for now.”

“Reyes, get to my position,” Joel ordered.

“What? You can’t…!”

“Morrison’s down; I’m in charge,” Joel snarled. “You git yer skinny ass over here and get our Captain to the field station. Got it?”

“Yes, sir,” Reyes growled.

Joel glanced up at the windows, but the omnics were not shooting. Were they starting to lose contact with the ominium? He hoped so.

Reyes jogged up and carefully pulled John’s limp body across his shoulders. He grit his teeth, glaring at Joel under his visor, before he started heading for the field station. Joel waited until he had rounded a corner before he started moving.

“Omnics are starting to falter; we make our push while they’re distracted,” he ordered. “All groups move on the ominium, now!”

“Understood,” Reinhardt shouted. “With me, my friends!”

Unlike most ominiums, this one towered over the city. The humans that had lived in its shadow had thought it harmless, commanding the offspring that trotted out of it as servants. Joel didn’t have to be a genius to know that war was inevitable. You can’t treat someone’s kids like shit and not expect retaliation

Talking with Mondatta had changed his opinion on omnics. He’d never been wholly against them; sure, he was pissed that they’d laid waste to his homecity, but he didn’t hate anyone. Now, he felt nothing but pity and understanding for them. They were slaves to their programming and slaves to the humans that created them. They were intelligent, more than capable of living and thinking for themselves. An uprising was inevitable and, if there hadn’t been a mass slaughter, necessary.

That didn’t mean that Joel agreed with them. He was a ruthless man by trade, could cut a bloody swath through men without blinking an eye, but he drew the line at harming the innocent. It was a sticking point that his contemporaries had hated, especially when they were trying to get information. He didn’t care. You could make change by going after those responsible, not the innocent that were stuck toeing the party line to keep themselves alive.

A line of omnics advanced towards him, rifles raised. His machete slipped out of its sheath and he lunged, driving the blade deep into the shoulder of one of the omnics. He spun, using the screaming omnic as a shield as the others started shooting. They were sent flying as Reinhardt charged through them, screaming in surprise as they were slammed into a wall and reduced to scrap.

“Nice timing,” Joel smirked as he wrenched his machete out of the omnic. “Your unit?”

“Approaching now, sir,” Reinhardt saluted. “Captain Morrison?”

“Is in rough shape,” Joel shook his head. “But he’s still young and tough. He’ll be okay.”

Reinhardt nodded as they started moving towards the base of the ominium. The scouts were already in position, shifting nervously as they waited for the signal. Joel waited until he saw the leaders of all the small parties before he lifted his rifle to his shoulder.

“Open fire!” he ordered.

The front of the ominium was blasted in by the force of their weapons. Laura and Jasper bolted forward, leading the way into the hellhole with their explosives strapped to their bodies. They were inert, thank Christ, but they needed every one of them if they wanted to destroy the ominium.

“Ten minutes,” he said over the comms. “Don’t waste your time, Wong.”

“We won’t, sir,” she promised. “Watch our sixes.”

“Affirmative,” Joel chuckled.

Omnics came streaming out of their base, but they were mowed down immediately. There was no mercy for them, not while the ominium still stood. Joel shouted orders, staggering the lines of soldiers firing so that the air was never without bullets and plasma. The first round of explosives were set and the scouts bolted out of the ominium.

“Fall back!” Joel shouted as he slowly started to back off. “Wong, ETA?”

“Setting the last of the explosives now,” she replied. “We’ll be…oh shit!”

“Talk to me,” he ordered.

“Wire shorted out; need to strip it and run a bypass,” she replied. “Go, McGuire; I have this.”

“McGuire, out,” Joel ordered. “Double-time, girl.”

“Done,” Laura shouted. “We lost a minute. All scouts, move for the exit, now!”

“Suppressive fire!” Joel shouted. “Watch for scouts!”

Ten scouts bolted out of the building and then Jasper. He ran as fast as he could, legs pumping, and jumped clear over the barricade. Joel stayed upright, shouting at the others to get down. He needed to make sure Laura got out.

He felt the first explosive detonate and braced himself for the aftershock. Many of the soldiers were driven to their stomachs as the ground shook furiously. Laura came running for the barricade, her short black hair smoking as fire engulfed the entrance she had just vacated. Joel bolted for her, dropping his rifle to the ground as he held his hand out.

He felt her smaller hand against his palm and yanked her forward. He twisted, pushing the smaller woman up against his chest as he jumped. The explosion threw him forward violently and he wrapped his arms tightly around Laura’s body. He slammed into the barricade and rolled over it, landing hard on his side behind it. Shrapnel flew by overhead, raining down on them like hellfire. Several Crusader shields were lifted against the onslaught, their wielders staring at the crumbling ominium.

“Mission accomplished,” Joel growled as he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. “Laura?”

“I’m fine!” she shouted, laughing as she covered her face. “I can barely hear you, but I’m fine! Holy shit, we flew!”

Joel chuckled as he sat back, groaning as he felt his body protesting the simple movement. “Great, looks like I’m riding in the wagon back to the station,” he groaned.

“Sir, omnics approaching,” someone called.

Joel lifted his head as a line of shaking omnics approached them. A badly damaged Bastion unit was leading the way, its large blue optic flickering. Joel reached up and touched his commlink.

“Mondatta, can you spare a few minutes to translate?” he asked.

“I can multitask,” Mondatta replied. “Flip the switch.”

“Can you understand the language I’m speaking?” Joel asked as he activated the speaker-phone option so that Mondatta could hear what was being said around them. “Nod yer head if ya can.”

The Bastion unit nodded its head. It let out a long series of beeps before clasping its hands in front of itself.

“She is asking for amnesty,” Mondatta said. “She and those like her knew no other life but what the ominium told them to do. She will accept any condition that you deem reasonable to hold her and her fellows.”

“Not just a Bastion unit,” Joel frowned. “Lotta omnics.”

The Bastion nodded her head and beeped again. “They made a grave mistake in accepting the god code’s wishes,” Mondatta said. “They want to atone for their foolishness.”

Joel narrowed his eyes. “Mondatta,” he said.

“There is much I need to explain, McCree,” Mondatta murmured softly. “Please, wait until you return. I do not want anyone else to hear.”

“Alright,” Joel nodded before he stepped forward. “I want all weapons powered down, got it?” The omnics nodded. “Good. You’ll be sequestered until we can decide what to do with ya. Move out.”

* * *

 

Mondatta rubbed his hands together as Joel and Miyu sat down in his office. He had an office. This still astonished him, but he supposed that was what happened when he was the highest ranking field medic on deployment.

“The god code is not as oppressive as you have been led to believe,” he said softly. “It…it cannot take control without the consent of the omnics it is activated in.”

“Why hide that from us?” Miyu asked.

“I…I was afraid,” Mondatta shook his head. “Afraid, that you would dispose of me…like the hospital did.”

“Dispose…Mondatta, I think there’s a lot more to the story than just you being afraid to let your comrades know about a coding,” Joel frowned.

“There is much I have to explain,” Mondatta agreed. “I…am unsure where to begin. The god code…it is placed in all of us as a last attempt to keep us from straying too far from our programming, I believe. But it cannot be activated like a killswitch. It is…a suggestion at first, an invitation. We can inquire after its suggestion, get more information. The more willing we are when we are satisfied, the better for the coding.

“I did not mention it before because…I was ashamed. I was not contacted until after I was expelled from the hospital. I was…so vulnerable. The streets of Cairo were not a safe place for an omnic and I was targeted for my frame type and lack of weaponry. People that I had once cared for and treated at the hospital turned on me, beat me, and left me to rust in the alleys. The omnics in charge of the ominium, they knew which ones to start the uprising with and my beaten frame was one of them.”

“I see no reason to be ashamed,” Miyu frowned. “You didn’t take the offer, correct?”

“I did not, but I came so close to it on a number of occasions,” Mondatta hunt his head. “It would have been so easy to just let the god coding take over and to fade away into nothingness. Or maybe be remade into a weapon of mass destruction. I was going to…before Overwatch came to Cairo. The children…I thought they were safe so…I was going to let myself be taken. I was so tired.”

He looked down at his lap and shook his head. “I am a weak….”

“Mondatta,” Joel said as he reached forward and gently took his hand. “You didn’t though. You resisted. Now look at ya; one-a Captain Morrison’s most trusted comrades. Gunna be head medic at this rate. Maybe Chief Medical Officer with a bit more trainin’.”

Mondatta lifted his head and reset his optics a few times. “You…are not angry?” he asked.

“Nah,” Joel shook his head. “John might be. Only cuz you left out that little detail and it could have changed how he led, but he won’t stay angry fer long. Ain’t in John to hold-a grudge fer too long.”

Mondatta stared for a moment before he shook his head. “You are all so kind to me,” he whispered.

“You’re one of us, Mondatta,” Miyu smiled. “Whether or not you are human doesn’t matter. You’re working to protect the people you care about by helping us remove those that would abuse their power. That is what is important.”

“Thank you,” he said as he bowed his head. “Thank you.”

***

The steady beeping of the heartrate monitor was quiet. If something happened to John’s breathing, an alarm would go off. For now, it was quiet to allow him to rest.

Mondatta checked his vitals and made sure that that IV drip was still full. When he was done with his medical duties, he reached out and gently ran his fingers through John’s graying golden hair. He was beautiful, strikingly so, and Mondatta found himself growing calm in the man’s presence.

“I thought I saw an angel when I first saw you,” he whispered. “A warrior brought to life by my final moments of lucid thought. I was ready to step into the embrace of the god coding and just give up.”

John’s eyes fluttered slightly, but he didn’t move. Mondatta shook his head and settled down on the bed beside him.

“You have a very calming aura about you, John,” he murmured. “It is impossible not to feel safe around you. I….” He let out a long sigh and looked away. “I am still coming to terms with the emotions that run through me on a daily basis now. Once, my daily maintenance would have kept me from feeling too emotional. Now…I want you to survive, Jonathan Morrison. I want you to survive and see your son again.”

He leaned over and rested his mouth component against John’s forehead. John’s breathing deepened and he let out a soft sigh through his nose. Mondatta wished he could smile as he watched John rest his head to the side.

“Rest well, Captain,” he murmured as he got to his feet and went to tend to the other patients.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> John has some big boo-boos to deal with now. This is why you don't get separated from your squad. Ever.
> 
> And down goes the ominium! And something interesting is revealed about the god-coding; it might not be totally oppressive after all. (It totally is, but it still has to ask nicely before crushing the personality of its host)


	17. Chapter 17

John’s eyes opened slowly and he let out a soft groan. “Hey,” he called out.

His voice sounded gravelly and worn, like he hadn’t used it in years. Or maybe that was smoke inhalation. Either way, his throat felt like shit and it hurt to talk. Someone was listening though, because he heard footsteps heading for him immediately.

“Captain, you’re awake,” Mondatta inclined his head. “How are you feeling?”

“Not dead,” John managed to smile. “Feels like I got ran over by a truck, though.”

“You fell two stories, backwards, out a window,” Mondatta shook his head. “You are very lucky, Jonathan.”

“Too stubborn to die,” John coughed. “And I’ve had amazing care, I bet.”

“Yes, but I’m not a miracle worker,” Mondatta glared at him. “You broke your collarbone, your shoulder, your arm, and your tailbone. How does one even break their tailbone?!”

“I’ll let you know when I stop aching, doc,” John managed a small laugh. “Busted my ribs, too?”

“Mostly bruising, surprisingly,” Mondatta replied as he took a seat on the bed. “The South African Omninium is destroyed; Joel saw to that.”

“How many’d we lose?” John shivered.

“Twenty in total.”

John squeezed his eyes closed. Twenty people had to die to accomplish their mission. He’d almost been amongst that number. He was damn lucky he hadn’t been.

“Their bodies…?”

“Already sent back to their country of origin,” Mondatta said. “Joel has taken care of it. He is…not suited to leadership, but he is a very suitable substitute while you were out.”

“How long’ve I been out?” he asked.

“Two days. I think that’s the most sleep you’ve gotten in months, Captain.”

John leaned his head back against the pillow. “Does Jack know?” he whispered.

“Joel informed him shortly after he arrived back at the field station,” Mondatta soothed. “Jack was very distraught, but Joel reassured him that you were going to be alright. I do believe he said something about ‘having the best medic in the world lookin’ after him’.”

“He’s got that right,” John chuckled. “Don’t know too many doctors that are as good as you, Mondatta.”

Mondatta’s faceplate darkened a little as he looked away. “That is very kind of you to say, Jonathan,” he murmured.

John smiled; he’d made Mondatta blush; and leaned back against his pillow. “High command given any orders?” he asked.

“No, but everyone collectively agrees that you should take some time off to recover,” Mondatta said. “Perhaps take a bit of a vacation to see your son?”

“I’d like that,” John murmured softly before he closed his eyes. “Hey, Datta, I’m really tired. Could you give me something to help me sleep a few hours?”

“Of course, Jonathan,” Mondatta soothed. “It will be a deep, rejuvenating sleep. No nightmares, I guarantee it.”

“Thank you,” John sighed.

He heard Mondatta fiddling with something beside his head, but didn’t have the strength to open his eyes. Something warm flowed into his veins from the IV drip and spread up his arm. He smiled, murmuring something even he wasn’t sure of, before he slipped into blissful sleep.

When he woke up, the room was dark. He shifted into a sitting position and shook his head. He went to reach for his face to rub the sleep from his eyes, but pain laced its way from his shoulder down to his elbow. It was like someone was driving an ice pick into it.

“Sonnovabitch,” he hissed as he dropped his hand back into his lap. “Fucking cocksucking motherfucking son of a whoremonger.”

“Captain?” Reinhardt’s voice sounded beside him before his massive frame shifted in the seat beside him. “Are you alright?”

“Just my shoulder,” he groaned as he leaned his head back. “Forgot that it was broken.”

“Well, at least you’re okay,” Reinhardt chuckled as he shifted forward.

“Oh…Reinhardt…your eye,” John’s eyes widened.

Reinhardt touched the eyepatch and laughed softly. “Molten shrapnel,” he said. “It cauterized the wound immediately, but the eye couldn’t be salvaged. Mondatta is working on a glass one that will keep the socket from collapsing. I will also have an impressive scar.”

John reached out with the arm that didn’t hurt and gently started running his fingers through Reinhardt’s bright yellow hair. He had to turn his whole body to accomplish it, putting pressure on his aching body, but he wanted the kid to know he was there for him. Reinhardt leaned into his hand, trembling miserably.

“It’s okay to be afraid, Rein,” John soothed. “You’re still just a kid.”

“Legal adult,” Reinhardt huffed as he pursed his lips.

“You’re eighteen; you’re still just a baby,” John teased.

Reinhardt tried to pout more, but he just sank down into John’s hand and squeezed his eye shut. John ran his thumb soothingly over the young soldier’s cheek. This wasn’t fair to him; fighting a war that never should have happened. He was just a kid, no matter his life experiences. He wasn’t prepared for what was going to happen to him.

“You aren’t alone, Reinhardt,” he said. “We’re behind you all the way.”

“I know,” Reinhardt whispered. “I just….”

“It’s okay, Rein, I know,” John smiled reassuringly at him.

Reinhardt leaned forward and rested his head on John’s shoulder. John did his best to wrap his good arm around the young soldier’s shoulders and hold him close. He wasn’t alone in the world, but he knew how hard it was to remind yourself of that sometimes. It was worse after an injury, especially one that was life changing. Losing an eye might not be life threatening, but Reinhardt’s whole world was going to have to change to accommodate the loss.

***

“Dad!”

“Ssh, it’s okay, Jack. I’m okay,” John smiled at the screen.

He could see the tears building in his son’s eyes and he wished that Jack didn’t have to see him like this. He knew it looked back; Joel had handed him a mirror so that he could see what his face looked like. He’d gotten beaten pretty hard, but that was happened when you got cut off from you team because you ducked into a building to avoid stray bullets only to find all the fucking omnics inside ready to kill you.

“You look bad,” Jack whimpered.

“It looks worse than it is,” John smiled. “I’m okay, Jack, honest. I need to talk to you, okay? So take a deep breath.”

Jack inhaled loudly before he nodded his head. He was fighting back tears and John wanted to punch something. His son should never have seen him like this. He wasn’t supposed to be worrying about his father! It was John that was supposed to lose nights of sleep worrying about his little boy, not the other way around.

“I’m on bed rest for the next little while, so going out to rural Indiana is a no-go,” he said. “But, if you’re interested, I can have you meet me in Japan.”

“Japan?” Jack frowned before he straightened up. “Oh! That’s where your boyfriend is, right?”

“That’s right,” John smiled. “I have to talk it over with him, but I don’t think he’d be opposed to hosting us for the next little while. Not like I’m going to be much of a strain on anyone since I’m going to be stuck in a bed.”

Jack stared at him before he nodded. “Yah! Yah, I want to go to Japan!” His face scrunched up and he rubbed at his eyes. “I miss you so much! I was so scared when Uncle Joel said you were in the hospital because you got really hurt. I thought…I thought….”

“I’m okay, Jack,” John soothed. “I’m a big, tough soldier. And I have to make it home to see you. I love you so much, Jack. You’re my whole world.”

“Daddy,” Jack smiled through his tears. “You’re making me cry.”

“I’m sorry, Jack,” John smiled. “I just…I want you to know how much I love you.”

“I know,” Jack sniffled and rubbed at his eyes. “I love you too.”

“I’ll get everything in order, Jack,” he promised. “I’ll see you soon and it won’t be through a vid-screen.”

“Okay,” Jack smiled. “You rest and get better.”

“Don’t worry about me; I’m in good hands,” John soothed before he blew a kiss at the screen.

Jack was the first one to hang up. John let his façade crumble and dropped his head back onto his pile of pillows. He let out a choked sob and covered his face with his good hand, trying to stifle the noises he was making. Warm hands settled gently around his head, pulling him into an equally warm chest. He barely registered the sound of mechanical components as he buried his face into the chest.

“It’s alright, John,” Mondatta murmured as he ran his fingers slowly through John’s hair. “You’re alright. It’s okay to cry. You are not weak, John.”

John let out a hollow laugh and hid his face more. Not weak? He certainly felt like he was when he was trapped in bed and in constant pain as his bones knitted themselves back together at a grueling, slow pace. But it was nice to listen to Mondatta’s voice, to let someone reassure him for once. It was nice to know that someone had his back not because he was Commander, but because they cared about him. It was a nice change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack will finally get a chance to see his dad after so many years of war. Yay~
> 
> John's having a bit of a hard time with his injuries. He's not the sort of person that likes to bedrest.


	18. Chapter 18

Jack stared out the window as the plane flew over Tokyo. He was so excited to finally see his dad, but he was also terrified. The military men had escorted him to the airport and made sure that he bordered his flight without incident, but now he had to trust that Mr. Shimada’s men would be there waiting for him. He wasn’t proud to admit that he was clutching a stuffed toy, but he was. He buried his nose in the soft material of the plush snow leopard and breathed in deeply.

He was really scared. He was excited to see his dad, but he was scared. What if the men that came to get him weren’t working for Mr. Shimada? What if he was kidnapped? What if he never got to see his Dad again? Would they ever be able to find him?

The plane coasted onto the runway. Jack held his toy close, breathing in deeply as the plane taxied down the runway to one of the terminals. They had to wait another fifteen minutes before they were able to start disembarking and everyone was eager to get moving.

“Jack Morrison?” the flight attendant smiled at him. “The men your father sent to pick you up are here.”

Jack nodded his head as he grabbed his small carry-on and followed the nice lady off the plane. He almost hid behind her leg as the three Japanese men moved forward to collect him. They thanked the flight attendant and carefully surrounded Jack, ushering him away.

“Your father is very anxious for you to arrive home,” one of the men said in a thick accent. “One of our associates is collecting your luggage while we go ahead.”

“Okay,” Jack nodded nervously.

The man paused and knelt down in front of Jack. He pulled his white shirt down to show off the snout of a white dragon tattooed onto his skin.

“Do not be afraid, Jack Morrison,” the man said gently. “I am loyal to my master and he has ordered us to deliver you safely to his home. No harm will come to you while you are in our care. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Jack nodded and bowed his head. “Sorry.”

“Do not be,” the man smiled as he stood up. “Come along.”

Jack ended up hanging onto the bottom of the man’s shirt to keep from getting lost in the crowd of people. They kept a steady pace, pushing through the crowd with practiced ease. By the time they reached the parking lot, the man getting Jack’s luggage caught up with them and they walked to the black van parked a short distance from the entrance.

Jack buckled himself into a seat and shifted as the men piled in around him. He fell asleep somewhere between the parking spot and the gate leading out of the airport. He missed the bright lights of nighttime Tokyo, but he hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep on the plane. The men stayed silent until he woke just outside of Hanamura.

“We there?” he asked groggily.

“Almost,” one of the men grunted.

Jack rubbed at his eyes as the van drove through unfamiliar streets. He watched people roll by on the other side of the window, a little awestruck by the old fashioned clothing some of them were sporting. They were beautiful, the kind that he knew could not be replicated by Western clothing companies. He looked past the people to stare at the huge trees covered in heavy cherries.

“Wow,” he whispered.

The men glanced at each other as the van pulled into a parking spot in front of a massive castle. Jack stared up at it, awestruck as he unbuckled himself. He wiggled out of the van and stood staring up at the castle. The men were already carrying his things inside and one of them was waiting patiently for Jack to finish staring.

He trotted after the man, mouth open as he watched the dragons dance across the gates keeping the grounds safe. He stopped to touch the bottommost dragon, trailing his fingers over the engraved metal. Something warm tingled up his arm and he shivered before he hurried after the man waiting patiently for him.

They walked down a long hallway and up a flight of stairs before the man knocked on a door. He waited for an invitation to enter before sliding the door to the side and motioning Jack inside. Jack stepped inside and his eyes zeroed in on his father slowly sitting up in bed.

“DAD!” he shrieked, dropping everything on the floor.

John shifted, opening his arms as Jack charged forward. He threw himself against his father’s chest, sobbing happily as he buried his face in John’s warm chest. He sobbed, shaking uncontrollably as he rubbed his face against his father’s chest.

“Jack, my Jack,” John sobbed. “You’ve grown so much.”

“I missed you so much,” Jack sobbed and lashed out. “You never came to visit!”

“Don’t hit,” John growled as he grabbed Jack’s shoulders. “I’m here now. I’m here and you’re here and we aren’t going anywhere for a long while. I can promise you that, my baby boy.”

Jack bit his lip and nodded. He sniffled and John pulled him back against his chest, kissing over his forehead. Jack snuggled closer, wrapping his arms around John’s shoulders.

“I missed you too, Champ,” John murmured. “You were always on my mind.”

Jack let out a soft whimper and jumped as someone moved beside John’s bed. He blinked at the man that rose to his feet. He looked tired, not just from missing a night’s sleep, but something that went deeper. John lifted his hand and the man took it, squeezing tightly.

“I’ll leave the two of you here to sleep,” the man said. “The button’s right beside the bed. Don’t be afraid to push it if you need something.”

“I won’t,” John promised. “Thank you, Daiki.”

The man smiled before he turned and left the room, turning the light off behind him. John settled down against the bed, sighing softly. Jack wiggled down beside him, tucking his face into his father’s shoulder. John wrapped an arm around him, holding him close.

“I’m so glad you’re here, Jack,” John murmured. “You’re going to love Hanamura.”

“I’m just happy I’m with you,” Jack whispered.

“That too,” John chuckled. “Get some sleep. I’ll introduce you to the family later.”

Jack nodded and closed his eyes. He slept better than he had since John left. There were no nightmares, no waking up in surprise in the middle of the night thinking that he heard the phone go off to tell him that his father had died, and no waiting to hear the news on the newest omnic incursion. It was just safe and warm.

* * *

 

Daiki looked up from the eggs he was cooking and smiled. John was in his floating bed with Jack on his lap, the boy grinning widely as he waved at the house staff. They waved back, smiling happily at him. There was nothing like a happy child to brighten the mood and the drudgery of cleaning the castle.

“Good morning,” he called. “Did you sleep well?”

“Very,” John smiled as he hugged Jack close to his chest. “Better than I have in a long time. Did you do that, my champion?”

“Maybe,” Jack grinned. “I think it was all you though.”

Daiki smiled as John kissed Jack’s forehead. “So, this is the young man that has kept you going all this time?” Daiki asked as he set the eggs to the side and walked over. “It is nice to finally meet you, Jack. I’m Daiki Shimada.”

“Hello,” Jack smiled shyly at him. “Are you going to be my new dad?”

Daiki felt heat bloom across his cheeks as he chuckled. “Well, I wouldn’t mind that at all. But it is a little early in the relationship to say. John can barely talk to me most days,” he replied.

“We’ll see what happens after you’ve been stuck with me for a month,” John chuckled. “You’ll probably be ready to kill me after a week.”

“Somehow, I doubt that,” Daiki smirked before he returned to making breakfast. “Hanzo! Genji! Breakfast!”

He heard his kids come racing in from the garden and smiled as he turned to look. They dropped down at the table, grinning widely as Daiki carried breakfast over for them. They gave their thanks before they started digging in. Daiki set out a place for Jack and smiled before he went to retrieve his and John’s share.

Jack settled down nervously at the table and picked up the fork Daiki had set out for him. He mixed his greens in with his rice, watching how Hanzo made his breakfast before doing the same. He put a small portion in his mouth before relaxing.

“That’s good,” he said happily. “I was expecting it to be really strong!”

“My boys like a nice neutral flavour first thing in the morning,” Daiki chuckled as he settled down beside John and helped him eat his breakfast. “I prefer a little bit of a kick.”

“Not too much,” John smirked at him. “He has a delicate tummy.”

“Says the man on the other end of my fork,” Daiki warned.

John’s smirk softened into a smile as he opened his mouth for the next bite. Daiki fed him, trying not to focus on John’s eyes. Or his smile. Or the way he made Daiki’s heart flutter with delight. He had to focus on feeding him and not accidentally jabbing the fork into his lip or something.

“Daiki,” John smiled before he leaned in close.

“John, I’m…,” he tried to scold the man, but fell silent as his warm lips pressed against his.

It was a chaste kiss, the sort that Daiki knew meant that John cared for him. He wanted to cry, but he kept his eyes as dry as he could. John smiled and kissed him again, drawing him in close.

“Ew!” Hanzo whined. “Ew, they’re kissing!”

“That’s what adults do,” Jack laughed. “They kiss each other.”

“Ew,” Hanzo repeated.

Daiki chuckled as he leaned against John’s shoulder. John shifted so that he could run his finger down Daiki’s cheek. He started feeding him again, murmuring softly as John slowly chewed his meal. This peaceful moment meant more to him than he could explain and he wanted it to last as long as possible.

***

Daiki watched Hanzo and Jack wrestle in the backyard. He had been worried at first when Jack had offered, but John had reassured him that Hanzo would be fine.

“He wrestles with a younger kid all the time; he knows how to be careful,” John had said.

Watching them now, he saw what John had meant. Jack wasn’t letting Hanzo win, but he wasn’t putting up as much of a fight as he could. He could hear Hanzo grunting and huffing as he tried to keep Jack pinned. Genji was cheering from Daiki’s lap, clapping his hands loudly every time Hanzo managed to get on Jack’s back.

“Not so rough, Jack,” John called from his bed. “I see those fingers.”

Jack shot his father a wide grin before he rolled over and held Hanzo tightly to his chest. He started blowing raspberries against his cheeks, making Hanzo squeal and wiggle to get away. Daiki laughed at the sight, warmth growing in his chest. Jack had barely been here a day and he was already acting like a big brother to his boys.

Hanzo managed to slip free and bolted for Daiki, laughing as Jack gave chase. He hid behind Daiki, laughing as Jack started circling around them. Hanzo fled from the older boy, laughing as Jack chased him.

“They’re getting along very well,” Daiki murmured.

“Jack always wanted siblings,” John chuckled. “I’m so glad that they’re getting along. It’ll make things easier in the long run.”

Daiki nodded his head in agreement as he rocked Genji in his arms. Having their boys get along was a step in the right direction. Getting them to want to be around each other was going to be fantastic if this relationship went anywhere. He hoped that it did.

He didn’t want to lose John Morrison to time and distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daiki and John are relieved that Jack gets along so well with Hanzo. They already act like brothers; the transition shouldn't be too hard for them~
> 
> And Jack finally, finally gets to see his dad. It's been almost three years, John! D: he's missed you.


	19. Chapter 19

Joel watched the last few blips go out on the board in front of him and let out a long sigh. A laugh bubbled up in his throat and he thumped the table. Miyu threw her arms around his neck, howling with delight before the whole room started cheering.

It was over. It had taken two God-damn years and an innumerable number of sacrifices, but it was finally over. The Omnic Crisis was finished. They had won, against all the odds, they had won.

“We did it,” John said softly over the video conference. “We did it!”

Joel swept Miyu up into his arms and spun around, laughing happily. He kissed her, not minding the way she smacked his chest and told him to put her down. Reyes and Reinhardt were punching the air, whooping in delight while Torbjörn clacked his heels. Mondatta had his head bowed and his hands folded in front of his face.

“This is a momentous occasion,” Mondatta murmured. “A chance for peace.”

“For everyone,” John agreed. “Major, we’ll start organizing ways home for everyone.”

Mahala nodded her head. “Of course, Captain. I will be flying out to Tokyo to speak with you in a few days as well,” she said. Her brown eyes swept over the gathered soldiers, scientists, doctors, and engineers. “I want to extend my gratitude to all of you. However small your contribution, you have helped to save all of humanity from a terrible fate. Thank you. All of you.”

Her eyes flicked directly to Mondatta and she smiled. Mondatta bowed his head in acknowledgement. Joel knew that if he had a mouth, he’d be smiling.

“Drinks on the UN!” Joel howled. “We’re getting’ drunk tonight, boys and girls!”

“McCree!” Mahala scolded him, but everyone was already cheering. “Fine. One drink. That is all. You’re buying the rest.”

“Done!” Joel cackled.

They didn’t take long to get their liquor and start their celebrating. Mondatta spent most of the night making sure they didn’t get sick, cutting people off before they could get blackout drunk. He was scooped off his feet at one point by Reinhardt and covered in sloppy kisses while the giant of a man wailed about how much they owed him for caring for them all. If omnics could blush, Mondatta would be as red as a tomato.

Joel and Miyu slipped away in the middle of the party, but even with how steamy their kisses got, they only sat on the roof of the headquarters and stared at the stars. Her body was warm against his, but the longer they sat there with his arm around her shoulders, the more he knew that this was all they would ever be. Friends. Very close friends. That did not disappoint him. People went their whole lives never finding anything like what they had.

“Are you disappointed?” he asked softly.

“No,” Miyu replied. “I…had a feeling that we were not meant to be romantically involved. I thought that, perhaps, we could make it work. But, in the end, this is much better.” She looked at him and Joel smiled. “You are a wonderful man, Joel McCree. You have the heart of a gentleman and the soul of a warrior. Whatever your wife says, you deserve all the happiness in the world.”

“So do you, Miyu,” Joel chuckled as he ran his thumb over her cheek. “Yer an amazing woman. Daiki is lucky to have you as his SIC. The Shimada Clan has never been stronger.”

She smiled and leaned against him. “I am honoured that you think so, my friend,” she murmured as she tipped her head back. “The stars are beautiful here. I hope…I hope that future generations will enjoy them as much as we do.”

“They will,” Joel chuckled. “Because humans are drawn to them. No matter what, we’ll always look up at the sky and sigh in awe at the beauty and wonder just beyond our grasp.”

“Hmm, now are you talking about the stars or about me?” she teased.

“A bit of both, maybe,” he chuckled as he tipped her chin up and kissed her. “You are the greatest woman to ever enter my life, Miyu. Thank you. For everything.”

She returned the kiss just as gently as he had given it to her and they rested their foreheads against each other. Below them, the party kept going as the survivors of the Omnic Crisis celebrating their life and victory. He knew that in Hanamura, John was celebrating with his family. It was how things should have been.

* * *

 

“So it’s safe to go home?” Jack asked as he bounced Genji on his knee.

“It is,” John said as he worked slowly through his physiotherapy. “We’ll be heading home after Major Bashir has visited.”

“Good,” Jack grinned. “I want to show you the new additions we’ve made to the barn! Did you know that Vanessa could balance on a beam? She’s amazing! And Tommy fixed up the old tractor so we can plow the fields.”

“And what have you done?” John asked as he slowly moved his left arm in a wide circle.

“I rebuilt the stalls,” he grinned widely. “We can have cows!”

“Goats are friendlier and not so prone to stepping on little toes,” John smiled.

“Goats!” Genji giggled happily and clapped his hands. “Goats!”

“Ooh, yah,” Jack nodded. “We can have lots and let them rule the fields!”

“Agreed,” John chuckled before he sat down beside Jack and picked Genji up. “Hmm, and I think your Oto-san will like the countryside too.”

Genji nodded his head happily, brown eyes big as he smiled widely. “Da!” he shouted as he waved his little hands at John’s face.

John brought Genji close and kissed his chubby cheeks. Genji squealed happily and reached up to pull at John’s hair. John laughed and held him close, rocking him in his arms.

He was curious as to what Mahala wanted to talk to him about. As far as he knew, there was no reason to keep him around. He had every plan to return to Indiana and go back to living the quiet life of a farmer. He wanted to date Daiki and eventually marry the man, joining him into the Morrison legacy and giving him a place to stay that was far away from the nightmares of yakuza influence.

“The boys keeping you company?” Daiki called as he walked over. “Our guest has arrived, if you wish to speak with her.”

John nodded as he got to his feet and set Genji on the ground. Genji immediately rushed over to Daiki and pressed his face into Daiki’s leg, rubbing his cheeks against his thigh. He and Daiki shared a quick kiss before John continued inside.

Mahala was waiting in Daiki’s study, her head turning slowly to take in the extensive, generations old craftsmanship wrought in gold, silver, and gems. John was still getting used to the fact that Daiki came from a long line of Dragon Kings that ruled Hanamura. But, considering how the locals treated the family, it really shouldn’t have surprised him.

“Major,” he greeted.

“Captain,” she smiled as she got to her feet. “I’m so glad to see that you’re alright and recovering. I saw the report on your injuries; your guardian angel is working overtime.”

“I don’t doubt it,” he laughed as he saluted. “So, what did you want to speak with me about?”

Mahala waved for him to take a seat and he did so. She folded her legs over one another and John straightened. This wasn’t his friend speaking to him; this was Major Bashir. Why did she want to separate herself from that image?

“The United Nations has been debating for the last few months about the necessity of a global presence dedicated to helping the world population through crises,” she said. “A dependable, multicultural organization that will be able to respond and provide aid without having to worry about border lines.”

“So they want to keep Overwatch in place,” John said slowly.

“Yes,” Mahala nodded. “With you at the helm.”

John narrowed his eyes and curled his lip. “You’re kidding.”

Mahala shook her head. “No. They believe you are the best man for the job,” she replied. “They want to give you a little bit of time….”

“Mahala, I respect you too much to buy that bullshit,” he said. “You and I both know that if I told them ‘no’ that I would never be able to live peacefully. I would be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life.”

Mahala hung her head and nodded. “I know,” she murmured. “I think…they were planning this for….”

“Since you collected me from Haven,” John shook his head. “Why am I not surprised? They just hate letting their ‘best’ get away.”

“I’m sorry,” Mahala murmured. “If it’s any consolation….”

“Don’t,” he shot her a tired smile. “I know what you’re about to say and I don’t want to hear it. Let the UN know that I will accept the position on the condition that my vacations are mandatory.”

“I can have that arranged, Strike Commander,” she smiled.

John wrinkled his nose. “Oh gods, I hate the sound of that already,” he shuddered before he got to his feet. “Will you stay for supper?”

“I don’t see why not,” she laughed as she rose to her feet. “When was the last time you and I got to enjoy a meal as friends?”

“Years,” he chuckled. “Come on. I think Daiki’s making salmon over rice with Caesar salad.”

Mahala fell into step beside him and for the first time in a while, John felt the weight of the world slip off of his shoulders. He straightened and rolled his shoulders, groaning a little as a twinge of pain shot up through his left arm. It didn’t matter though; for a little while, at least, he was allowed to be John Morrison again. He would enjoy that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go guys. The Crisis is over, Overwatch is being made into a permanent fixture, Joel and Miyu aren't exactly a couple, and John gets to be with his son again for a little while at least. Hurray for mostly happiness after a war.


	20. Chapter 20

Cameras flashed across the hall floor as Jonathan Morrison stepped forward to shake hands with the leader of the United Nations. His smile was polite, but it didn’t reach his eyes, something the media failed to notice in favour of talking about how striking he looked in military blues. Applause rang through the hall as he stepped up to the microphone.

“Thank you all for attending this event tonight,” he said, his voice clear and calm, easily carrying over the crowd. “Overwatch was successful in stopping the Omnic Crisis because of the amazing people that worked day and night to eliminate the omnics compromised by the god programming. We would not be standing here tonight if it were not for their efforts.”

The hall clapped politely as Joel McCree pulled his weathered hat off and bowed at the waist. He’d allowed himself to be dressed in a form-fitting suit and cleaned up his beard and hair enough that he didn’t look like he’d just rolled in out of a dustbowl.

“I am beyond honoured to be appointed as Strike Commander of Overwatch,” John continued. “This organization will continue its commitment to protecting the innocent through a combination of boots on the ground, scientific and medical advancement, and working with whatever government agents are required.” He reached up and slowly ran his fingers through his hair. “Thank you.”

He handed the podium and mic back over to the UN leader and walked over to where his team was standing. The media switched from talking about him and his simple speech to how adorable his son was in his blue suit. Jack Morrison was praised for looking like his father, for being a sweet little boy, and so well behaved.

A few comments were thrown Tommy, Vanessa, and Jesse’s way, but they were not as many as what Jack received. Most people commented on how varied Joel’s kids looked from one another while still looking like siblings. More people were trying to figure out if Joel and Miyu were actually a couple or if they were just friends with benefits.

For the most part, the media was content to sweep aside the fact that a global police force had just been established in favour of filling their newsfeeds with trivial information. Distraction was the best way to keep the populace from panicking, of course. Couldn’t let them think that Overwatch would also be defending the rights of omnics that were trying to recover from their own ordeals.

Best to pretend that they didn’t exist until they started to become a problem.

* * *

 

“Happy Birthday dear Jack. Happy Birthday to you!”

Jack laughed as the entire command team sang him happy birthday. Reinhardt had worked his ass off to make Jack the best chocolate cake imaginable, covering it in cream cheese icing and designing little snow leopards on it. Everyone had party hats on, even the guests that had never met Jack before in their life.

“How old are you? How old are you?” the children all sang, making Jack laugh harder. “How old, how old, how old are you? Are you one? Are you two?”

“Oh dear,” Joel teased. “We could be at this for a while.”

“Not your birthday, Joel,” Miyu shot him a smirk as Genji clapped along in her arms.

“Now, Miyu, you cut me to the quick with a tongue like that,” Joel shot her a grin.

“Would you two just get married already?” Tammy teased as she took pictures.

“Are you nine?!”

“Yes!” Jack laughed before he blew the candles on his cake out.

Everyone cheered as John stepped forward and hugged his son close. Jack returned the hug, grinning happily up at him.

“How my champ?” John asked as he nuzzled him.

“Nine,” Jack grinned. “Can we have the cake first?”

“I don’t see why not,” John smiled. “No, Joel; I am not using your damn machete to cut the cake.”

“Oh come on; it’s the only thing long enough to cut through that monstrosity,” Joel laughed.

“We’ll cut it into cubes,” Daiki shook his head as he set a kitchen knife down on the table for Jack to make the first cut.

“That’s so boring,” Joel teased.

“So is your beard, but I have not said anything,” Daiki shot him a nasty smirk.

“Miyu! Your cousin’s bein’ a dick!” Joel whined playfully.

“Hush; that’s the first time he’s been comfortable in years,” Miyu laughed.

Jack giggled as John kept his hands steady so that he could cut the cake. He closed his eyes as he made a wish, leaning against John’s shoulder as he took over. John started cutting the cake up and setting the pieces onto plates. Reinhardt brought out the vanilla cupcakes and Tommy immediately snatched one, smiling shyly as Reinhardt laughed happily at his enthusiasm.

John ruffled Jack’s hair as he brought three pieces to the family standing awkwardly off to the side. He had invited the Reyes family when Felipe had made it clear that he would not be inviting them or attending the party. That was fine; Jack didn’t like Felipe anyways and if he wasn’t going to help celebrate his son’s birthday, he was certain his family would.

“Enjoying yourself?” he asked as he handed the three plates over.

“Still a little surprised that you invited us,” Reina smiled as she started eating. “What with your only reason to know we exist hates us.”

“Felipe is an ass,” John shrugged. “But I wanted his family here. Mostly to piss him off.”

“More than happy to help,” Emilo laughed. “You raised a cute kid.”

“My pride and joy,” John smiled as he glanced over at his son. “He’s been through a lot in his short life. He’s a trooper.” He glanced down at Gabriel and smiled. “Why don’t you go sit with them, Gabriel?”

“I don’t know anyone,” Gabriel murmured.

“You won’t know anyone if you stay here,” John nodded his head. “Go on. I’m sure they’d love to meet you.”

Gabriel smiled nervously and nodded, heading over to the table where the kids had gathered. Immediately, John watched the awe wash over the kids’ faces as Gabriel sat down. They started talking excitedly, hanging onto each word that Gabriel said. John lifted an eyebrow in amusement as Jack stared at Gabriel with rapt attention.

Aw, his little boy had a crush already.

“So,” Joel said as he slid over and grinned at Reina. “You want to set up a marriage contract between your boys.”

“Joel, he’s nine!” John looked at him and shook his head. “Calm down! What is with you and wanting to marry my son off?”

“Hey, if I can’t get you to agree to Van, I can at least get him a nice man,” Joel cackled.

Reina let out a laugh as she shook her head. “Sorry, not interested. But thank you for offering on Jonathan’s behalf.”

John shook his head as Joel cackled harder. He watched his son talk with Gabriel, discussing something that had the older boy smiling and nodding. He hoped he could make his son stay this happy while his father was stuck being the leader of a powerful organization. He wanted Jack to be happy and safe; if that meant dancing to tune that the UN was playing, so be it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of part one. Not sure when I'll get the second part up, but there'll be a bit of a break between the madness. Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you'll be there for the second round.
> 
> And yes, Joel trying to get an arranged marriage for John's kid is a joke. Safe to say he will never accomplish it.


End file.
